5 Reasons To Power LED Light With Solar Panels

Here are two stories with two different endings — and one big difference because of light-emitting diode (LED) lighting. Renewable resources and slowing resource use are two major pillars of a plan for a sustainable future. 

LEDs have leaped into the spotlight. Green was the first color the technology gave the world in 1927, and it took more than 30 years until red was developed in 1962. Blue was the tricky one, taking more than another 30 years to develop. Having all the basic color technology down in the 1990s, work on LEDs progressed quickly. However, the price point of the technology slowed down its adoption. LEDs cost way more than other sources of lighting then. Tech companies went in first, then lighting for commercial use grew.

The race to develop LEDs sped up in 2010 as major design and environmental prizes focused on bettering the world’s lighting technology. In 2011, the average LED bulb cost was $50–$60. In two years, the cost dropped to $15. Today, the average cost for a consumer bulb is $2.50. LED bulbs also cost less to run in the long term. When it comes to lighting, it is currently cheaper to take care of the environment than to destroy it. 

Combining LED light with solar panels is a winning idea. They look good and work well for a long time. The pairing will get more attention in the years to come because it can go anywhere. Plus, Greenshine New Energy can design a system to fit any location or need, bringing the cutting edge to your home or business. 

What Do You Need To Know About LED Lights and Solar Panels?

A small solar panel will create a small amount of electricity. For instance, garden lights with small panels on top or a solar calculator. LEDs use very little electricity to power many lights. Pair a small solar panel with a bright LED light and you will have inexpensive and bright lighting for a long time. 

Light-emitting diodes are small electrical parts that let electricity go only in one direction. A small bit of electricity flows through a microchip, lighting up small diodes. LED lights use all the electricity because it cannot flow back. The electrons quickly fill the many holes, which act as a positive charge. When they get there, they expend their electricity as photons or light. 

Photovoltaic solar panels work much the same way, with the sun's light getting the diode going. The sun hits the photovoltaic panels and creates electricity which runs directly to the LED light or into a battery to store the light until it's dark. The quality of LED lights has improved greatly over the past years — becoming brighter, clearer, and more natural. 

5 Reasons To Power LED Lights With Solar Panels

You can install an outdoor solar lighting system anywhere that gets a decent amount of sunlight. An LED light with solar panels and a battery is the heart of the unit. The lighting itself comes in any form you can imagine: spotlights, sign lighting, garden feature floodlights, light poles, and more. The combination of solar power and LED lead to an investment that will last for years. 

1. LED Lights Are Bright and Well-Powered by Solar Panels

LED lights run on direct current (DC) power, which is the kind of power produced by solar panels. The two fit directly together, without a converter or ballast between them. A converter would use and lose power and may need a bigger solar panel to run both it and the light. 

Solar panels use DC power exclusively, and so do the batteries they charge. It's part of their design. If you send alternating current (AC) power to them, they will convert it into DC power. The sun, with its constant stream of photons, shines directly. It creates a current that flows in one direction only. If you had a larger solar set-up that ran into your house, it would need to be converted to AC to power your toaster and television. Luckily, that is a fairly easy thing to do.

If needs change, solar panels and LED lights can be moved around easily. They are both small and easy to set up just about anywhere. And they fit together well for a long time, with the lights using the energy that the solar panel creates. 

2. LED Lights Are Energy-Efficient and Save on Costs

LED lights are super-efficient. An incandescent loses 90% of its energy creating heat. LEDs make no heat. Home use and commercial LED light with solar panels are both efficient, making them a huge money saver. 

Normally, to light a parking lot, you would have to lay an underground electric line to every pole you wished to light. Solar has none of that — no money spent on lines, trenching, and repairing the concrete. This process costs an average of $3,200 each. You save again by not paying for fuel. 

Plus, you can find tax incentives that help you pay to put in the initial system of solar-powered LEDs. Long-term upkeep is also inexpensive.

3. LED Lights Allow for Higher Visibility

An LED light with solar panels can produce a little light or a lot of light, depending on your needs. An LED flood light with solar panels can be a bright white and look much the same as daylight. They can also be tiny pink twinkling lights or a spotlight on a logo. LED lights are incredibly flexible. The colors, direction, and shape of the light beams are all determined inside the small bulbs.

Once, LED lights had a distinctive blue-white glow that was never quite white. Scientists and engineers fixed that problem. Now, the white is pure white. With a white that's this bright, LEDs are now recommended for use on trucks as a safety measure.

4. Solar Panels and LED Lights Have Long Lifetimes

Solar-powered LED lights last longer than incandescent and compact fluorescent lights, as well as halogen bulbs. They are perfect for high, hard-to-reach, or faraway places. An installed LED will last for up to 22 years. That is the same as 50,000 to 100,000 hours if the light is on 12 hours every day. 

Solar panels last for 25 years, losing only 20% of their power generation over those years. These lifetimes pair well together, and you may not have to worry about them ever again. 

5. Solar-powered LED Lights Can Be Built in Off-Grid, Remote Areas

An LED light with solar panels works best because the two main parts fit together, and not just in an electronic way. Solar panels can provide small amounts of power anywhere that has sun. LED lights take so little power that they do not need a strong source.

When they come together, they enable lighting that can be a fit for these places:

• The back of your yard where the raccoons come out of the woods

• The far side of the field, where the other gate is

• The mailbox at the end of a twisty driveway

• The prize roses in the middle of the garden

• The trees, hanging in hundreds, like a net made of stars

An outdoor solar lighting system with LED lights does not have to be permanent. Solar tower lights can charge a portable light that’s bright enough to light up a work site or serve as a small spotlight. 

Buy LED Lights with Solar Panels from Greenshine

At Greenshine, our lights provide sustainable, low-carbon energy, but they do more. We equip our lights to protect turtles. From a broad variety of features, you can also choose lights that protect the dark sky. Sustainability is the first thought here, and is wrapped up in everything we do.

It's true that Greenshine knows photovoltaic solar systems and LED lighting. But more than that, having set up different systems in different locations, we know what people want and need. Whether you need commercial lighting, farm lighting, temporary lighting, or streetlights in your town, we have you covered. We know that solar-powered LED lighting makes the world a little more like a fairy tale — and that properly installed LED lighting with solar panels allows everyone to live happily ever after.