Battery vs. Solar-Powered Outdoor Christmas Lights
Solar-powered lights work only during the day, unless they have batteries to store electrical power for use at night. Choosing to power Christmas lights with an external battery rather than the internal battery in a solar-powered system may have advantages. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
-
Time Illuminated
-
Successful charging of the internal batteries in a solar-powered system depends on the panel receiving sufficient hours of sunshine. Solar systems use small, low-voltage batteries that store little power, and since winter days are short, charging times and battery capacities are inadequate to power lights for long periods. External batteries can be much larger; charging them is easy and they can last much longer.
Number of Lights
-
Low-power lights use LEDs linked in parallel circuits where the current, not the voltage, determines the number of lights in a string. Rechargeable batteries delivering less than one amp-hour of power typically power solar-light systems. A car lead-acid battery may deliver 200 amp-hours of power, thus powering 200 times as many lamps for the same length of time.
-
Running Costs
-
Solar-powered lights, after manufacturing, place no further demands on the environment. Recharging and running them is free and produces no greenhouse gases. Charging an external battery requires access to a receptacle and electricity for which you have to pay. The eventual disposal of a lead-acid battery may also involve costs.
-
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
