Solar: There are two types of solar lighting.

A. The first type are solar fixtures that have little solar panels affixed to them and are independent of any wires. They collect the sun's energy during the day and then store that energy into batteries to be converted into light at night. They are energy-friendly BUT they are not eco-friendly. (See below for more on Type A Solar) There are many limitations with solar lights.

Disadvantages associated with solar lighting:

Solar lighting fixtures have rechargeable batteries. These batteries come with a life of "3 years" according to the manufacturer but most of the time they need to be replaced after a year. Replacing the batteries is costly.

Solar lights must have sun during the day to charge the batteries. They lose their light power by 2-3 hours after sunset because the length of time they stay on at night depends on the amount of sun exposure they get during the day.

Solar fixtures also break easily because they are made of plastic and they only last a few months to a year. Manufacturers can offer the lights inexpensively because of the fact that they are made inexpensively and with poor quality materials. They are not recyclable either.

B. The second type of solar lighting is with large solar panels that are installed on a home roof.

With this type of solar, a low-voltage lighting system with low-voltage fixtures is used and the power the lights use draws strait from the energy stored by the transformer of the solar panels. In ‘Layman’s Terms’ the lighting draws strait from the same solar power that every other electrical appliance in the house does. The low-voltage lighting system ensures that very little power is used with the fixtures but the fixtures provide, amazingly, a great amount of light output.

Because the large home solar panels are expensive this type of solar lighting is usually only done if the panels are already existing to the home. If you already have large solar panels as part of your energy use regimen or want to invest in them, then this type of solar lighting with low-voltage fixtures is great. A wonderful, economical and ecologically friendly contribution to any home.

Type A Solar Lighting

The number one misconception about solar lighting is that it’s the most eco-friendly choice and it isn’t. There is too much room for comparison when it comes to choices for landscape lighting. Unfortunately many homeowners have no room for comparison. (A problem I am trying to change)

Homeowners base their decisions on purchasing solar fixtures from their friends, neighbors or even 'do-it-yourselfers' who also have no comparison and post blogs about how great it is. Don't believe the hype.

Environmental Impact and Quality

As stated above, the only good thing about solar lighting is that it uses the sun. But that's it because it does have environmental impact. These lights get trashed often because they are of poor quality and they break easily. People don't recycle them therefore they end up in landfills where the solar panels and plastic don't biodegrade. They are made of non-eco-friendly plastics that are not recyclable.

The batteries used inside them also don't get disposed of properly; they are usually not removed from the fixture and end up in those same landfills. They only last a few months to a year and ultimately end up in the garbage.

Solar fixtures don't stand the test of time because they can't withstand the forces of nature for very long. Their inexpensive, poor quality construction is why they cost only a few dollars a fixture and therefore very appealing.

Because they are so inexpensive to replace homeowners find that its easier to just throw the fixtures away then to spend money on replacing the rechargeable batteries when they need replacing or when the fixtures break because of their poor construction. Cheaper in the immediate but more damaging to the environment and more expensive in the wallet in the long run.

How many times do you want to replace your landscape lighting fixtures?

Some solar fixtures are now made of stainless steel and copper. What’s important to note is that the 'copper' fixtures are only copper coated which means that they are really nickel with a thin coating of copper so the buyer is not really getting a true copper fixture. The stainless steel fixtures are usually a very, very thin cut of steel that makes the fixture susceptible to easy damage. These metal fixtures also cannot be recycled unless they are taken apart and separated from the solar panel. In which most instances they aren’t and again like their plastic cousins end up in landfills.

Appearance

Manufacturers make them appealing because there is a misconception that those designs are unique to solar lighting, but those same designs and even nicer and more appealing ones are available in other fixtures that aren’t solar. Some are not so attractive and have solar panels are often very visible and in some fixtures the panels stick right out of the top or back of the fixture that completely detracts from the look of the fixture. Some fixtures have managed to have hidden panels somewhere on top but they are still very unsightly when compared to the attractiveness of other lighting system fixtures.

Purpose

If your looking for lighting for the purpose of making your home look beautiful, solar fixtures are not for you. If you want them for security and safety only- then they are definitely not for you.

If people are just lazy, cheap and simply looking for the easy way to NOT light their homes then solar is the way to go for them. People think, "I want something easy and I don't want to worry about any wires, work or shallow digging." So they go solar and then are not happy with the results or end up hurting themselves when walking through their gardens and there isn't enough light. (One of my clients sprained her ankle after falling along her walkway just after installing solar lights to prevent such accidents.)

Design

Solar lights get installed in ways to try and improve their light output because there isn't any. Solar lighting placement looks like they are set up for landing small aircraft or like they are guiding you to your movie theater seat. (AKA airport syndrome or the one right after the other with 1 foot spacing or the cluster of lights in one spot) Unfortunately people have to do this in order to get the light output they need. The solar fixtures function is limited. It’s not possible to design with them; there is no spotlighting or downlighting, wall washing or tree illumination with solar fixtures. The capabilities are just not there.

Go ahead and invest in a few solar fixtures to see the comparison.

Light Output

Even if it is sunny out, if the solar panels are not exposed in the direction of the sun they will not charge. So most of the time you see solar fixtures that are sadly wilted or tilted in an awkward direction towards the sun. If it’s cloudy or raining the lights will not regenerate and will not turn on. If you have them under trees or awnings they won't charge. Shade = solar fixtures enemy. Normally an hour after sunset the light is already dim. They provide little to no light at all.

Solar lights cannot be used in all weather conditions. Manufacturers play up the easy install as an even easier reason to take them out and store them in the winter because of the fact that winters will provide no sunlight. But what if you have to walk through your backyard for any reason and can't see? Should the front of your home and front walkway have to remain in darkness throughout the duration of the winter because your fixtures won't work? It’s not feasible. Landscape lighting should be durable and capable of being utilized year round.

Proponents of solar fixtures say that the poor light output is a “design intention” and that most people prefer the faint light output..... Seriously? That's the manufacturers way of making their product sound good. The bottom line is that solar fixtures are flawed but easily marketable and made appealing to homeowners.

Solar fixtures simply don't provide enough light to suit the purpose of the homeowner. Whether is for beauty, safety or security the light output is not there. Most people have to end up buying numerous solar lights to get the light output that one low-voltage fixture would give.

For every one simple low-voltage light fixture a homeowner would need 10 solar lights to give out the same light output. Calculate that in cost per solar fixture and constant repurchasing throughout the year to replace the fixtures when they break. Then determine how those old broken fixtures get trashed and where they end up and figure if it’s really worth it.

Type A, Solar is not the answer. Period.

Overall

There are numerous other types of systems that have little or no impact at all on the environment and provide massive more amounts of lighting than solar does. The other systems also have very little impact on your checkbook. Anyone who has been able to compare solar lights (Type A) to any other type of landscape lighting will be able to agree that the amount of light output, quality, durability and duration that each fixture lasts is drastically different.

Investing in good landscape lighting will save you money in the long run and have less impact on the environment. When people see a good lighting job in another house they ask themselves, "Why doesn't my yard look like that?" It's usually because that person invested slightly more in their landscape lighting.

Research and ask a professional about landscape lighting. Compare the differences in light output. Don't be afraid to spend a little more on the system to make your home beautiful, safe and secure. Your investment will last longer, will have virtually no environmental impact and will only cost you a few extra dollars a year in energy costs. (FYI most good quality landscape lighting cannot be purchased at a home improvement centers. If you get plastic fixtures expect them to break quickly and expect them to have to be replaced. Ask whether your fixtures are biodegradable or recyclable. In nearly all instances they aren't.)

You may ask: "But what if I can't afford anything other than solar fixtures?" The answer is that there are other systems out there that are comparable in price to the total cost of solar fixtures in the long run. You will need fewer lights and get more light output. This is where installation practices by you or an installer are very important in order to get the most out of the less expensive systems.

Anything worthwhile doesn't come easy. With a slightly larger investment and elbow grease you can have a drastically better lighting system.

I don't work for any manufacturer nor do I get compensated for my opinion. You will notice I mention no specific brand. This is all based on fact, evidence and my experience working with this lighting for the past 8 years. If requested, I can provide a list of several environmentally friendly brands that are well constructed and have great warranties with factory support. Systems I have worked with, that my clients love and that I have had no complaints about.

My Personal Thoughts…

In conclusion, I will say this about solar fixtures…in all honesty and sincerity, solar lights really don't serve any purpose because they are meant to be a lot of things they aren’t. They are meant to provide light and they don’t. They are meant to be inexpensive but they aren’t when you consider how many of them you have to buy. They are meant to be eco-friendly and they aren’t. I'm trying to help people see the difference because there are SO MANY misconceptions about solar fixtures.

High end lighting designers (not mass lighting manufacturers) are attempting to improve the light output of solar fixtures by increasing the number of solar panels so that the fixtures light output is increased and lasts longer. Since the panels are often unsightly designers are incorporating the panels into the designs. These concepts however are still in the conceptual stages and will be more costly.

Even I am eager and open to the new generation of solar light designs that will become available in the future. If a designer shows me a design that will work year round, will look good, is eco-friendly and resilient then I will definitely look into it.