Blog | 5 Common questions we are asked about solar lighting

By Will Clarke, Product Specialist

We go to quite a lot of exhibitions and conferences with the solareye®80, people like to see our solar-powered light in real life (and we like to meet new people!) Naturally, we get asked a lot of questions about solar lighting and what makes the best outdoor solar lights.

Here are some of the questions that we get asked:

How do solar powered lights work? (yes, this question comes up a lot)

The reason that Lakeside Group get asked this question at exhibitions is because we take an adapted solar light which means that it works indoors during the daylight and is used for demonstration purposes.

The real Solareye®80, is a solar-powered light which means that during daylight hours it gathers its energy (free) from the sun and charges the battery. A built-in automatic on/off sensor tells the solareye®80 when to come on – at dusk and when to go off – at dawn.   

The benefit of harnessing the power of the sun is that you can abandon electricity and all the charges that go with it. By utilising solar renewable energy, you not only save money but help the environment too. For the avoidance of doubt, there is no need for wiring and the units are self-contained.

 Do outdoor lights work in the winter?

 This will depend on the solar lights that you buy and the saying,” buy cheap, buy twice” comes into mind here. Some solar garden lights may only last you the summer or may not work when you need them to. Investment into high-quality solar lights will mean that you have lights that you can trust to work in any environment, 365 days of the year.

Obviously, being solar- powered, solar lights are reliant on exposure to daylight and therefore need to be charged outdoors. Before installation of the solareye®80, Lakeside Group can advise on the positioning of the product and any heavy leaf canopy coverage that could affect the amount of light available for charging 

solareye®80 has been constructed for use in commercial/industrial applications and has been designed specifically for Northern European daylight conditions. On a full charge (8 hours on a sunny day) the solareye®80 (white steady) will illuminate for an excess of 200 hours, which is 8 constant days or 2 weeks of continuous January nights. This large battery storage capacity means that the solareye’s operational performance is optimised, with consequent reductions in any operational issues caused by limited daylight or poor weather conditions.

Are solar lights waterproof?

IP stands for ‘Ingress Protection’ which is the universal measurement of varying degrees for dust, dirt and liquid resistance.

Lakeside Group offers outdoor solar lights that have been certified with the highest Ingress Protection rating of IP68 which means that they are resistant to being submerged underwater to a maximum depth of 1.5m.

The creator of the solareye®80 has a solar light in his pond under 300mm of water, it’s been submerged for 3 years now and is still working perfectly – all night, 365 days per year 

Do solar lights need batteries?

Solareye®80 is fitted with a long life LFP battery with a lifetime value estimated to be 8+years, so there is no need for frequent replacement. Here at Lakeside Group our oldest site is coming up to 8 years old and all the lights are still in operation.

Are solar path lights easy to install?

Lakeside Group can install or advise on the best methods of positioning and installing outdoor solar lighting. Installation of the solareye®80 is straightforward and requires basic drilling equipment.

The install site of the solareye®80 needs to be cleared of any encroaching edge growth, such as grass or foliage. Next, it’s essential to pre-mark the desired installation positions of the solar lights before cutting an 80mm diameter hole to a depth of approximately 30mm. The depth of the hole needs to be checked to ensure the outer lip of the solareye®80 rests on the surface. Lastly, a structural adhesive is applied around the upper sidewall of the cut and using a rubber mallet, the solareye®80 is tapped into position, ensuring the outer edge is resting on the surface.

If you need any further questions answered about our outdoor solar lighting products then contact us on info@solar-eye.com or call 0845 293 8062