At this point LED solar lights are a pretty common sight in people’s yards.
There are solar lanterns for those who enjoy a touch of the far east and there are solar brick lights for those who want to re-enact Micheal Jackson’s Billie Jean video.
There are solar LED fireflies for people who like the idea of little critters glowing in their backyard. There are even solar Buddhas for those who enjoy their yard lights with a touch of spirituality.
Now you can even get solar street lights, solar flood lights, and solar spotlights. Outdoor solar lights come in an amazing variety of sizes and shapes and there are more to choose from all the time.
There are a lot of good reasons for the popularity of LED solar lights and there is also good reason to think that these powerful little diodes will revolutionize the way we light up our nights.
Let’s take a look at why LEDs might be a great lighting choice for you.
(If you’re interested in learning more about the history of LED lighting, take a look at our page on the solar LED light.)
Here are the top three reasons that LEDs are a great choice if you’re thinking about solar power lighting:
- High Efficiency
- Long Lifespan
- Non Toxic
Let’s take a look at each one of these in a little more detail, shall we?
Efficiency
One reason that LEDs are a great choice for solar power lights is that they are very efficient. Don’t believe me? Well then how about listening to the U.S. Department of Energy which states that the LED is “one of today’s most energy-efficient and rapidly-developing lighting technologies”.
In the YouTube clip below a General Electric employee explains how Red Robin Gourmet Burgers has installed LED lighting in its restaurants. On another note: Why have I never heard of Red Robin Gourmet Burgers?
The restaurant chain has replaced incandescent and halogen bulbs with LEDs in over 150 of its locations. This involved the installation of about 12,000 LED units in the entrance area, lobby, dining room, and perimeter.
The 7 watt LED lights could cut energy consumption by up to 77 percent and cost savings will equal approximately ten dollars per year for each bulb that is replaced with an LED light.
Long Lifespan
Another benefit of installing LED solar lights is the fact that they last a lot longer than incandescent light bulbs.
In our little Red Robin video above we heard that LEDs can last about six times as long as an incandescent light bulb.
This helps to make up for the initial higher cost of LEDs since you will not have to be purchasing them nearly as often as you would regular light bulbs.
Also, if you run a business or own a property with a lot of light bulbs, you can save a lot of maintenance time by replacing lights less often. Don’t forget: Time is money!
Non Toxic
LEDs don’t contain any harmful toxic substances like mercury.
Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) are a lot more efficient than incandescent light bulbs but unfortunately they also contain mercury.
Mercury is highly toxic so great care needs to be taken if a CFL is broken. Also, there are strict disposal guidelines for any objects than contain mercury or other toxic substances.
Since LEDs don’t contain mercury it’s just one less thing to have to worry about.
So LEDs are efficient, long lasting, and non toxic. Aren’t those three pretty good reasons to think about choosing LED solar lights the next time you need a little illumination?