Among the different available options, LED lighting is one of the best one; hence maximum solar-powered lights are applying LED bulbs recently.
But are all solar lights LED?; if it is your question; read on to get your answer; also many more concerns.
Are solar lights LED?
95% of solar lights are now LED-based products. However, there are few alternatives that use other types of light (CFL or halogen) to produce solar energy into light.
Though different types of solar light are available in the market why select LED lighting especially? Below we’ve enlisted a few points regarding the LEDs- the Best alternative.
Energy efficient
In contrast with halogen lamps, the LEDs need less than 80% of electricity; LEDs output it brighter producing low heat.
In the case of solar lighting, it will require less sunlight to light up your LED in dark hours.
Energy efficiency is the main reason to consider LED solar lighting as the top choice.
Elegant design & compact size
Functionality & aesthetics ensure the great quality of LED lamps. Though LEDs are small in size come with an unobtrusive & modern design.
Long life expectancy
Solar lighting needs proper maintenance cleaning, repair, & control of quality. If you apply LED lights, you don’t need to be concerned about the replacement of the light.
Actually, LEDs come with a long lifespan of over 50 000 hours and are almost 5 times bigger than CFLs and 30 times higher compared with incandescent bulbs.
Durability
Basically solar lights are fixed outer & get tough with several environmental factors like as wind, heat, and different objects. These factors may ruin the light. LEDs are durable enough to withstand harsh conditions.
LEDs are protected against external impacts, vibrations, and shock so it is the right choice for outer solar lighting.
LEDs secure directionality
LED only give one direction of lighting while other sorts of lamps give omnidirectional lighting. But the particular high-quality LED fixtures are also capable to tune the lighting spread out degree.
What are the differences between solar lights and grid-tied LED lights?
We are presenting a comparison table to show you the difference; see the followings-
| Solar lights | LED lights |
| If the case of the rural areas your projects where municipal electricity is then isolated solar streetlights are only the best choice. | If you have a grid-tied type turning to LED is the wise solution to minimize your electricity use. |
| Solar light color may be limited due to the available options in the market. It may cold white, blue, yellow, etc. | There are lots of options to choose from regarding color. |
| Solar light is one kind of alive, light that moves, and dances also can flicker one moment and can be diffuse or soft at any time. | LED Light is always the same as a bulb since the grid power is consistent. |
| Actually, solar energy is a battery option for energy supply, but the charge is essential to run it. | LED lighting is the straight energy supply of the grid, actually, it is the voltage we apply to join household appliances. |
Do solar lights need the sun or just light?
Sun means the light itself. The difference is the light intensity and the full energy spectrum. Usually, solar lights will show a maximum charge rate under direct sunlight.
Alternatively, artificial lighting is ok for solar light but responsible for efficiency loss to a greater extent. As solar voltaic cells apply the total spectrum, perceptible light is a thin range of it.
However, the solar lights only essential light from any source to power up itself.
Lights can be generated via indirect sunlight a cloudy day is the best example of this. You can use a contrived light root such as LED lamps or incandescent bulbs to generate light.
Because of inclement weather if you require storing away your solar light, or it doesn’t find a ton of sunlight discloser; you just turn off the switch, make its power off then keep it far away for the next use.
If you aren’t using the solar light make it turn off and assist to save its battery life.
Final verdict:
We are optimistic that this write-up is able to clear up a few misconceptions regarding solar lights & LEDs lights. Accessing solar- energy is the easiest way to light up while LEDS make the solar light brighter.
Solar energy and LED lighting are like milk-cookie combinations. Together, they function well giving you the absolute solution for lighting applications.
Eng. Matthew Joseph Nandirio is the Founder of walkingsolar.
After graduating from the University of Houston in 2002, matt started working as a Solar Electrical Engineer for several multi-national solar energy companies.
He has a wide range of experiences including solar system requirement analysis, planning, maintaining, debugging and even solar device development through research.
He now shares his 20 years of expertise through his articles on the walkingsolar website.
Further, he is also the author of two books on Solar Technology, “Solar Power for Villages” and “DIY Solar System for Dummies”.