First impressions are everything, especially when our homes are involved and having your driveway highlighted with solar driveway lighting would have to be one of the easiest and most economical ways of achieving that impact.
Do It Yourself
Fitting solar driveway lighting can basically be a do it yourself type fit out, although the degree of ease will vary according to the style of light you ultimately decide upon.
Using Different Styles of Solar Lights for your Driveway
Illuminating your driveway can be effectively achieved by using different styles of outdoor solar lighting. For example, you could use a stunning set of stainless steel solar garden lights which can be simply staked into the ground adjacent to the driveway at your choice of spacing. This system would be both easy and economical to implement.
Alternatively there are some more sophisticated methods of lighting up the driveway which involves a few more skills and therefore a little more costly. One of these methods requires the specially designed solar light units to be embedded into the driveway, which could only be done as the driveway was being built. Another method is to attach them to the surface, which would be much easier to do but you will need some specialized tools to fit them.
Solar Fence Post lights, are another way that you can light up your driveway. These lights can define your driveway in a way that makes it safer to drive into when arriving home late at night.
Check out 7 Best Solar Driveway Lights
The Pros and Cons of Driveway Solar Lights
Being aware of the good and bad points of solar driveway lights is essential before making any decisions. Here is an easy to follow list of the pros and cons;
Pros;
- Use zero electricity
- Relatively easy to install
- Low purchase cost
- Environmentally friendly
- Add value to your home
- Relocatable (depending on style)
Cons;
- Long term reliability questionable
- Light emitted can be dim
- Need sunlight to operate
- Some models are fragile
FAQs About Solar Driveway Lights
To help you find the best solar driveway marker lights for your property, here are some of the most commonly-asked questions about driveway lights.
What are the Best Solar-Powered Driveway Light Brands?
Buying solar-powered outdoor lights is a wise investment. However, it’s vital to buy the best and more durable brand. There are many solar LED light brands to choose from. The best brands are EZ solar, Hampton Bay, and URPower. However, before buying a set of solar driveway lights, it would be best to check out users’ reviews or comparison websites.
How long do Solar LED Driveway Lights Last?
How long solar driveway lights last depends on the type of battery, solar panel, and LED lights. Typically, the LED lamps last for ten years or more. However, you should expect to replace batteries in driveway solar lights every three or four years.
Of course, driveway lights should be heavy-duty units if they will be on the ground. The ground-level driveway lights need to be strong enough to take the weight of a car. Otherwise, your solar lights won’t last a long time.
Where to Mount or Install LED Driveway Lights?
Most homeowners install solar driveway lights at ground level. Typically, you only need to drill a few holes in the paving or asphalt to install the in-ground driveway lights. If you choose stake-mounted LED spotlights or lanterns, then you install them by driving the stake into the ground.
Can you Drive over Driveway lights?
It is possible to drive over solar lights installed on driveways. Driveway lights made from aluminum alloy can resist pressure up to 20 tons. So, you can safely install them on the driveway ground without fear of breaking them.
What are the best batteries for solar LED driveway lights?
Solar driveway lights use rechargeable batteries to store the converted energy from the sun. The best batteries to choose from are Lithium-ion (Li-ion) or Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries. These have a better charging capacity than NiCd (nickel-cadmium) ones.
If you need to replace batteries in solar lights, choose Li-ion or NiMH rechargeable batteries and ensure they are the same size, voltage, and mAh rating.
How to install solar lights on your driveway?
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on installing solar driveway lights. If you install solar driveway marker lights, then install them along the edge of your driveway on either side. Also, take note of the light’s brightness to know the distance between each light.
For solar driveway lights that are spots, lanterns, or flickering flames, you just need to drive the lighting unit into the ground.
How many Lumens Should my Driveway Lights be?
Generally, between 200 and 300 lumens are sufficient for driveway light brightness. However, if you want your lights to illuminate a wider area, you can buy solar lights up to 1,000 lumens. These brighter lights may be useful if you’re going to install solar lights for a driveway entrance.
Solar Driveway Lighting for Remote Applications
Commonly we consider solar lighting to be used as an alternative to regular electricity even when we have the choice, but often that option is not available. In this case solar powered outdoor lighting becomes a very good variant.
Picture a driveway on a rural property where it would be both difficult and expensive to install conventionally powered lighting. Enter solar driveway lighting! It would be both fast and easy to install a set of simple outdoor solar lights, such as solar post lights, which would give that much sought after wow factor.
In Summary
Solar driveway lighting is a relatively low cost and easy way to highlight your driveway once the sun has set to make way for the evening. This form of lighting is particularly suitable for those remote type applications or the cost of conventional lighting is too prohibitive.
Be aware of the pros and cons of solar lights before making any decisions because they may or may not be suitable for your situation.
If they are suitable you then need to decide on which style of solar driveway lighting you would prefer. Is it the simple stake type of solar garden light or the more sophisticated style of embedded or surface mounted units?
Hopefully this information will assist you to make an informed decision and regardless of the style you ultimately choose the end result is certain to be outstanding.