Outdoor solar lighting some significant advantages over conventional mains electric outdoor lighting, but it also suffers a few notable drawbacks. So let’s see how the two compare, starting with the principal benefits of solar lighting.

One of the more appealing aspects of solar lighting is that it is so darn easy to install. No fiddly wiring and pesky cables; simply take your new purchase home, put it down where you want it and wait for darkness to fall. And it's also just as easy to move around and experiment with different options - not such an easy task when dealing with relatively static power cables.

Then there's the cost to consider. Outdoor solar lighting does in fact cost slightly more to purchase than mains electric lighting but it's still not exactly expensive and the total cost of ownership is in fact much less. That's for the very simple reason that they cost hardly anything to run - though there is the cost of replacing rechargeable batteries periodically.

In addition to easy installation and low maintenance, there are other factors such as safety and reliability where solar lights score well. They are also highly versatile in terms of what you can use them for and there is a bewildering array of different options and styles from which to choose.

But as ever there's always a catch somewhere and with solar lighting the giveaway is in the name. Solar lights need sunlight (and preferably sunshine) and not all situations are ideally suited. If you have a lot of shade for one reason or another, or are affected by seasonal changes or occasional poor weather then your solar lights will fail to recharge properly.

Outdoor solar lights can also be adversely impacted by things such as snowfall or leaves covering their solar panels. One remedy is to remove the batteries and recharge them using a mains charger but this is hardly practical if you have a lot of lights. And talking of batteries, rechargeable batteries have a limit on the number of times they can be recharged and as solar lights discharge their batteries on a nightly basis this clearly reduces their lifespan.

Solar lights usually cost more than similar electrically powered versions which isn't really that much of a deal unless you intend to install a large number of lights. In that case you would need to weigh up the balance between purchase and operating costs for both options.

Finally, outdoor solar lighting invariably lacks two key features intrinsic to mains powered outdoor lighting. It's not as bright to begin with and doesn't stay bright over extended periods of time, and it can't be switched on and off as needed but is almost always automatically controlled by built-in dusk-to-dawn light meters.

So in conclusion then, if all you only want is a modest amount of lighting that you can have working the same evening that you bought it, and you don't need it super bright or on all night then outdoor solar lights are a good choice. For more sophisticated landscape lighting systems you probably want to put the extra effort into installing regular electric lighting.