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Low Voltage or Solar Outdoor Lighting
01/23/2008 - By Johnny Shaw
The efficiency of the solar panels including the reduction in their size coupled with the quality of the batteries they charge and the length of time they last has made the purchase of solar lights very economical.
The Old Way
Once upon a time if you wanted outdoor lights, you had to assemble the lights, dig ditches, run wires, find and outlet for the transformer(these were low voltage systems using 12 volts), connect the light connections to the main cable, cover the ditches and set back to enjoy the fruits of your labors. Assembling the lights could be a major effort in some of the less expensive kits. The tolerances allowed are great and the manufacturers take advantage of this. Then you need to have the strength of Hercules to attach the wiring system Solar Outdoor lighting has made improvements by leaps and bounds over the last decade. Digging the ditch can be an affair if you have a tight soil. If there was a sidewalk or driveway involved, then the work had just begun, trying to get your main cable across these obstacles. They worked great until the bulbs started getting older, then they would fade a little, burn out or their connection would corrode and need occasional cleaning and reinserting. Looking for a bad connection can and does require a lot of time and effort on the do-it yourselfer.
The New Way
In the beginning, solar lighting only had one color. This was a bluish white which looked very artificial. They have evolved and include an amber color which is less artificial looking and more pleasing to the observer. They still are available in the original color for the person who likes that effect.
They can be purchased individually or in sets. If you only want to light up a feature in your yard such as a tree or a corner of your house, you can purchase the lights singly to do it. But if you want to light up the walk to your front door or the edges of your driveway, you can purchase lights in sets to accomplish this.
Installing outdoor lights has never been easier. All you need to do is decide where you want to install a light, stick it in the ground and you are done. If you decide you don't like that location, just pull it up and move it. No new wiring to run or move. No timer to set and no difficult connections to worry about.
Overall
For the person with a lot of time to spend on installing all the components involved with the old system and the maintenance they require, they are less expensive and dependable to a point. For the person who is busy and likes instant gratification, is not exactly sure where they want to install lights and may want to change the location of their lights to gain different effects, solar lights are the way to go
