Product Spotlight on Solar Flood Lights

Solar Flood Lights are easy to install and are ideal ways to provide both security and large area lighting for many types of sites:

• Residential - Single homes and multi-unit dwellings such as condos or apartment complexes benefit from easy security lighting as well as to provide lighting for specific purposes
  
  
• Businesses - parking areas, walkways, signage
  
  
• Recreational - swimming pools, basketball, tennis courts
  
  
• Industrial, Farms, Ranches - Continuous on floodlights are easy ways to add lighting for any area where people work at night or early morning.

The wide coverage area often makes them, when properly placed, a very cost-effective alternative to solar street lights or other more expensive lights.

These applications aren't just some of what some of he photos show, it's how customers tell us they will use the lights when they call us for recommendations for their lighting needs or to request discounts when several lights were purchased.

Today's solar flood lights have lots of different options and new features that provide lots of choices in how they are used and ideal ways to add quickly add light to areas of your property where adding electricity is difficult or expensive.

Questions about what type of light is best for your application, just Contact Us. We'll be glad to review your project area and make recommendations that fit your lighting needs and your budget.

Don't Let the Extra Cost Scare You

The extra cost of any good solar fixture, including flood lights, over comparable electrical products soon becomes irrelevant when lowered utility bills are factored in.

Contrary to what many people think, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 allows many exceptions for 100 and 150 watt bulbs, and they are being used in many outdoor solar lights.

The 150 Incandescent Bulb Lives On, such as this GE 150-Watt Incandescent PAR38 SAF-T-GARD Flood Light Bulb which you can purchase on line at http://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-150-Watt-Incandescent-PAR38-SAF-T-GARD-Flood-Light-Bulb-150PAR-FL-STGPQ6/100493803.

Halogen bulbs aren't exactly the most energy efficient light sources, and most CFLs work poorly in cold or very hot outdoor areas.

Sure, lots of electric floodlights now use LEDs, so do lamps. We have two of them on our porch, but they only light the porch. The steps are illuminated by a solar spotlight because many traditional light designers still haven't mastered how to effectively cast the laser like beams of LEDs. But, that's a story for a different post.

The biggest savings you'll see is during installation. Neither electricians or electrical experience is required to install them.  Often, people pick solar lights because to eliminate the high cost of adding power sources to new areas of buildings or other areas of your property. Also gone: the expense of restoring damaged walls or landscaped areas.

Advancements in Technology

Remember: solar lighting technology moves fast, and you may well pay more for better lights that use the new technology. Because we only offer better solar lights, our prices are often higher than discount stores that sell poorly made or antiquated techology.

Some of the things that are in our newer solar lights, which were cost prohibitive just a couple of years ago include the following technology advancements.  

• Continuous operation with longer running times than ever before, helped by one or both of the following:
  
  
  • Advanced super-efficient SMD (surface mounted diode) LEDs that are up to 17% more efficient than the alleged "super bright" LEDs
    
    
  • Continuous shift to using Lithium Ion batteries for better and more reliable operating times because the rechargeable batteries store and discharge energy more efficiently than types of batteries.
    
    
  
  • Intelligent Lighting Features:
    Remote controls or switches on the fixture itself incorporate intelligent lighting controls such as flexible timing. You program when the lights turn on, how long they stay on, and dimming options to be more neighbor friendly and also to conserve energy during long nights or after cloudy days.
    
    The increased use of RF (radio frequency) remotes over infrared remotes means that the remote can be used indoors to control outdoor features. Unlike infrared remotes where the remote must be pointed directly at the fixture with no obstructions, radio frequency remotes control the fixture through walls. Certainly a benefit during unpleasant weather, or if it's just inconvenient to go outdoors after you've gotten ready for bed.
    
    
  • New choices of color changing lights to add decorative illumination to ponds, uplight buildings, or add a splash of colorful light to draw attention to special areas of business or residential areas

Today's Solar Flood Lights: More Choices About How to Use Them

• Motion-Activated: Conserves stored solar energy by only using strong light when needed. ideal for security, especially when neighbors are nearby.
  
  When looking for these, make sure you can control:
  
  
  • TIME, how long the light stays on when activated;
  • LUX, at what level of darkness, say dusk or full darkness) will the light begin to operate; and
  • SENS, how sensitive is the light to "motion" which is actually heat that passes throught the area.

To get the most out of Motion-Activated Lights, you really do need to adjust these settings. How the light works in June when the weather is warm and the days are long will be very different from December when temperatures drop and nights are longer than days.

• Continuous On: True "dusk to dawn" operation is now possible for strong light. Or, use convenient remote control for recreational or work areas, shutting the lights off when the fun's over to conserve stored power and reduce light pollution.

What To Look for in a Good Flood Light?

Our video reviews things to look for in all flood lights. It's a couple of years old, so we will soon be updating this and many other videos. While it's a bit dated, the basic things are highlighted for those who like to watch rather than read.

Note: While SolarFlairLighting.com is in our fifth year of business, this new storefront went live in late March 2015. Building the new site and SEO updates (changing dated links and other backend things customers don't see) has left us less time to write articles like this one and we put several videos on hold.

Now that a lot of the moving-related work is done, we hope to publish a lot of new and updated material very soon. 

Copyright 2015, SolarFlairLighting.com. All Rights Reserved. This post may not be used in whole or in part without the express written consent of the management of SolarFlairLighting.com.