A quick guide to solar landscaping lights.

Solar landscaping lights are becoming more and more popular as an alternative to traditional mains powered outdoor lighting. Not only do they save energy, solar landscape lights are also incredibly easy to install, because you don’t need to work out how to connect them to mains power, and there are no unsightly wires to hide. You can set up your solar lights anywhere you wish, so long as the solar panel receives enough sunlight during the day.

Best of all, just about every type of outdoor lighting fixture is available in a solar version, so the landscape lighting design possibilities are just about limitless.

Landscaping lights which are available as a solar powered product.

• Garden accent lights, to highlight attractive features of the garden.

• Downlights and spotlights, for lighting small areas.

• Floodlights, for lighting up a large area, such as a patio or deck.

• Recessed lighting, which is mounted right into the surface of the patio, deck, walkway, stairway or driveway. Recessed lights are very decorative, and they also make a useful safety feature.

• Pathway lights, which can be set up alongside the pathway or walkway. This type of light normally comes with a stake, and you simply plant the lighting fixture in the ground. Installation literally takes a matter of minutes.

• Pond and pool lights, to give water features a magical glow.

• Motion sensor lights, which use an infrared motion detector to switch the lights on as you approach. Solar motion sensor lights are also effective as a security lighting feature, to detect the presence of intruders at night.

For more information on solar lights, please read this article on solar patio lights.