Pros and Cons of Solar-Powered Lights for a Walkway

You can beautify a home and make it safer by installing walkway lights. Lately, however, there’s a growing concern about the environment. As a result, you may have considered solar-powered walkway lights for your home.

Today, people are more aware of environmental threats than ever before. However, doing something about it is a different story. Increasingly, many people turn to off-grid powered devices to do their part.

If you’re looking for things that you can do to help the environment, installing a solar-powered walkway is one of the simplest ways to do your part. It doesn’t cost much and it’s relatively easy. However, the benefits of solar-powered lighting may not outweigh its convenience.

To learn the pros and cons of solar-powered lights for walkway lighting, read on.

Pros and Cons of Solar-Powered Lights

Solar lights need sufficient sunlight to recharge. You can install solar-powered lights anywhere they’ll receive adequate sunlight.

Accordingly, it’s not a good idea to install solar-powered walkway lights close to a structure. A building structure can prevent your lights from recharging for a considerable part of the day.

Also, you must clean the solar panels of your lights regularly. If you don’t, debris will cover the charging panel, making it impossible for it to collect enough energy to illuminate your walkway for a full night.

Solar-powered lighting is also subject to a couple of quirks. For example, your lights may not stay on as long as desired after a cloudy day. Without sufficient sunlight, they may not recharge fully.

It’s also important to watch for hedges and other growth around your solar-powered walkway lights. You must prune any bushes or branches that can block sunlight.

Finally, solar-powered lights do have batteries. You must replace the batteries every two to three years.

Easy Come, Easy Go

Solar-powered walkway lights are easy to install. Depending on the model that you choose from the lighting store, you may have to perform some minor assembly. Most often, however, you’d simply purchase your lights and stick them in the ground where desired.

However, there is a drawback to this convenience. Anyone can come along and pluck your solar walkway lights out of the ground. It’s not uncommon for someone to install solar lights and wake up only to find that a bandit has made off with them in the night.

Hardwired walkway lighting is a more secure solution. You may want to consider solar power for your entire home if you want to do your part for the environment.

Today, the government offers great incentives to homeowners who install solar power, reducing the upfront cost for installation. Also, you can even make money when you power your home with solar energy by selling excess electricity back to the power company.

Choosing Walkway Lights for Your Home

Hardwired walkway lights are one of the best ways to illuminate your home or add a decorative touch to your exterior. There are many walkway lighting options available, giving you the ability to create a truly unique look.

You can add subtle accent lighting or something with more panache. Varying lights, however, have different purposes. Accordingly, it helps to understand the differences in the lights that are available on the market.

As an example, path lights are small and meant for installation along a walkway. Manufacturers design them to make walkways safer at night. As an added benefit, they also add a decorative flair.

Pathway lights emit more illumination compared to other options. They’re usually basic in design.

You may have a retaining wall along your walkway. In this instance, there are plenty of hardscaping lighting options that you can choose from to create beautiful illumination along your walled walkway.

On the other hand, you may prefer accent lights if you have hedges along your walkway. They’re not as bright as path lights. Instead, they’re a low voltage solution that’s ideal for adding a glow that accents foliage and landscaping.

If you want to add more flair to your walkway lighting, you can work with your hardscape contractor to connect your lights to your home’s smart system. Using an intelligent lighting system, you can change the color scheme of your outdoor lighting at will. This will also give you the ability to control your lights using your smartphone – even when you’re not at home.

Safe, Secure and Reliable Walkway Lighting

Hardscaping contractors connect walkway lights to underground electrical wiring. This concealment hides unsightly wires and protects the power source from the elements. Because contractors conceal the wiring, hardwired walkway lighting is safe for pets and kids.

Suppose you’re a homeowner that’s worried about your beautiful yard getting torn up on the installation. There’s no need for concern in this regard.

Today, expert hardscaping contractors use trenchless methods that allow them to run electrical lines without digging up your yard.

Today’s hardwired walkway lighting solutions are reliable and safe. They’re resistant to weathering and vandalism.

Once you have hardwired walkway lighting installed, it’s relatively low maintenance. Occasionally you’ll need to replace the LED bulbs.

Hardwired walkway lighting uses LED bulbs that are readily available. Usually, an LED light bulb will last for 50,000 hours.

A One-Stop Shop for Your Walkway Lighting Needs

Now you know more about the pros and cons of solar-powered lights for your walkway versus a hardwired solution.

The Hardscape Exchange is here to provide you with a fast and easy way to shop for walkway lights and all your hardscape needs. You can browse our catalog and order online 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We offer you the convenience of a full selection of hardscaping supplies, without the inconvenience of going to the store.

Having served hardscape contractors for more than 25 years, we aim to make your next lighting project or hardscaping job easy with convenient online payment and jobsite delivery.

Check out our latest inventory on our outdoor lighting page.