How to Solar Outdoor Lights Work?

A few years back, using solar energy to power the lights sounded like science fiction. But today, using solar outdoor lights has become a normal thing in big cities.

Did you ever wonder how do these solar outdoor lights exactly work for hours together?

Solar outdoor lights work based on the photovoltaic effect. The photovoltaic cells convert solar energy into direct electricity. These solar cells are the dark panels that are available on the top of the outdoor lights.

There are multiple layers of crystalline silicone chemicals which create layers of positively charged spaces and also the negatively-charged electrons. Once the sunlight strikes these layers, it enters the negatively charged region, and it is pushed to the positively charged spaces.

Now, these positively charged spaces transfer the electrons through the wires connected in the solar cell to a battery. This battery stores all the energy until it is needed. Throughout the day, the battery gets charged, and it is converted to electricity at night.

During the evening, as the sunlight disappears, the solar outdoor lights start using the energy stored in the battery to emit the light. The photoreceptors present in the outdoor light detects the darkness and turns on the light which is made up of LED.

Till the sunrise, the battery supplies energy to the solar outdoor lights. This process continues on a daily cycle like charging with the help of sunlight in the morning and using the stored energy at night until it is completely drained or till the photoreceptors detect the sunlight.

During the summer most of the time sunlight is available for the outdoor light to charge. Hence there will not be any problem. However, during the winter, since the days are shorter than the nights, there might be an issue in the charging of the bulb.

During the winter, the charging of the solar lights might not be as fast as the charging time during the summer.

Amorphous solar panels are very effective when it comes to getting charged during the winter. They are more effective only during the cloudy days and winter seasons, as they are capable of absorbing more light from the clouds.

Here are a few more commonly asked queries related to the solar lights:

Do Solar Outdoor Lights Work Even on Snowy days?

Yes, they do work even on the snowy days. But, the charging time is not as effective as the summer season.

Also, during the winter season, you need to relocate the position of your outdoor lights as per the sunlight. This helps it get charged quickly.

How to Charge Outdoor Lights Without Sunlight?

In case, if there is not much sunlight on odd days, try to use the regular electricity to charge the outdoor lights. Most of the lights nowadays are coming up with DC charging ports, which helps them get charged in multiple manners.

Also, you can plug in a DC charger in the car while travelling, and charge the outdoor light.

Conclusion

Having a solar outdoor light is very much essential for saving power and bills. Moreover, solar outdoor lights can be easily carried wherever you go and brighten up the place. So, if you love spending most of the time outdoors, try getting a solar outdoor light for your needs.