May 20, 2012. Samuel Valero
The use of solar energy to power devices has been around for decades. However, there is a new concept which many people are welcoming.
The solar garden lights. These use solar energy for their functioning. They don’t have switches nor do they need wiring. So, how do they work?
Before discussing how these solar lights work, it is important to first talk about their components. The working components of garden solar lights are mounted on a single casing. These components are solar cells, battery, controller board, photo-resistor and LED bulb. These are mounted on a plastic casing which is then placed within a metal, plastic, glass or ceramic casing for support.
Now to how these outdoor solar lights work. On a sunny day, the solar panels absorb sun energy and convert it to electricity. Since it isn’t immediately needed, the electricity is stored in a battery for use during the night. To ensure that none of this energy is lost, the controller board contains a diode which prevents back flow to the solar panel.
When night time approaches, the solar panels produce less and less electricity. When darkness sets in, the panels don’t produce any electricity due to lack of sunlight. Darkness also triggers the action of the photo-resistor. Its purpose is to trigger lighting of the LED bulb drawing its energy from the battery. Depending on how much the battery has been charged, the solar light will run for hours until the morning.
Once the sun rises, the photo-resistor detects light thus cutting off the connection between the battery and the LED bulb. This way, the cycle begins all over again.
Having known how these solar powered lights work, you should also know ways for making them more efficient. The only way to make these solar lights more efficient is ensuring that they are positioned in areas of ample sunlight. This way, the battery will be fully charged by the time night falls.
Updated May 20, 2012. Published June 29, 2011. Samuel Valero
