Solar landscape lighting?

[thallo]

I’m looking for recommendations for solar landscape lighting.  My garden gets a lot of bright shade but not a ton of direct sun, so they need to be pretty good at charging. I’ve got a few litom wall hanging lights but can’t tell if the spotlights provide enough light to compensate for being bulky. I’m looking for spotlights that can provide some up-lighting and also maybe some pathway lights. Thanks!

[NickJames]

6 hours ago, thallo said:

I’m looking for recommendations for solar landscape lighting.  My garden gets a lot of bright shade but not a ton of direct sun, so they need to be pretty good at charging. I’ve got a few litom wall hanging lights but can’t tell if the spotlights provide enough light to compensate for being bulky. I’m looking for spotlights that can provide some up-lighting and also maybe some pathway lights. Thanks!

Are you absolutely opposed to LED lights powered by electricity? I’ve yet to be able to find a decent solar solution (and I am in full sun). 

[redant]

The new generation led 12volt lighting is far superiors.  All solar light particularly without direct all day sun will leave you totally unimpressed.

My backyard is about 300ft deep and I was able to do the main walkway down on a single run of wire and one power supply. Amazon has the best prices to do this.

(376) January 31, 2021 - YouTube

Edited January 31, 2021 by redant

[Dartolution]

@thallo I agree. 

@NickJames suggestion of LED lights for landscaping is an excellent option. I have 5 bollard style entrance lights that only use 1.2watts each. 

You can get a lot of light for very little in the way of electricity. 

 

Bright shade just won't cut it, even if you switch out the batteries for more storage capacity. Without direct sun they just won't charge like you'll likely want them to.

 

[Allen]

I've had a different experience than previous 3 posters.  I have a lot of these lights in my backyard and over the last 3 years the ones on amazon are very good.  They will light palms up to 8-10' very well.  For $20 it's worth a try.  They do work in shade as well.  You wouldn't think that but I have around 20 of these so I can tell you they do.  They last all night in sun and several hours in shade.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07P8K5ZRX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Edited January 31, 2021 by Allen

[thallo]

2 hours ago, NickJames said:

Are you absolutely opposed to LED lights powered by electricity? I’ve yet to be able to find a decent solar solution (and I am in full sun). 

I wanted to stick to solar because I assumed they would be easier to move and maintain. I have one exterior outlet that I could possibly use, but they would need a plug (versus hardwired). I’ve had great luck with exterior LEDs in fixed hardwired lamps. What brand are you using?

 

[thallo]

2 hours ago, redant said:

My backyard is about 300ft deep and I was able to do the main walkway down on a single run of wire and one power supply. Amazon has the best prices to do this.

This is very much the effect I’m looking to achieve. Are your lights all on one “chain” cord? I only have one outlet outside. Thanks for the video!

[thallo]

2 hours ago, Dartolution said:

Bright shade just won't cut it, even if you switch out the batteries for more storage capacity. Without direct sun they just won't charge like you'll likely want them to.

Thanks for sharing! I had already started researching better batteries so this is great info

[thallo]

2 hours ago, Allen said:

You wouldn't think that but I have around 20 of these so I can tell you they do.  They last all night in sun and several hours in shade.

I’ve had good luck with their motion sensing floodlights. The model you linked is one I was researching. Do you use the dawn to dusk feature?

[NickJames]

24 minutes ago, thallo said:

I wanted to stick to solar because I assumed they would be easier to move and maintain. I have one exterior outlet that I could possibly use, but they would need a plug (versus hardwired). I’ve had great luck with exterior LEDs in fixed hardwired lamps. What brand are you using?

 

I am in Michigan now but will do a video when I get back. My low voltage transformers also use an exterior outlet to plug in - it was easier for me to do that than hard wire into the circuit breaker. 

I use Kichler, which is a higher-end fixture. They sell it at Lowe’s now. It’s more expensive than their generic brand. The fixtures are metal vs plastic.

[Allen]

55 minutes ago, thallo said:

I’ve had good luck with their motion sensing floodlights. The model you linked is one I was researching. Do you use the dawn to dusk feature?

The ones I linked earlier just stay on till the battery goes out.  They are not motion sensing.   They will last a couple years.  In summer they stay on all night.  Now in winter they stay on for me about 4-5 hours as they don't get much sun.  They will work in the shade and I didn't think that at first till I started using them and trying them in different spots.  I really like them.  I also use these path lights and like them ok but they sometimes go bad.  I also use these smaller path lights to light up small 2-3' sabal minor size palms.   Large palms over 8'-10' or so you will need electric powered lights to up-light. 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B086S5K6GQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Edited January 31, 2021 by Allen

[KDubU]

I use these solar lights on my palms and bamboo. I had them at our previous house as well to light the oak out front and also a corner of the fenced yard where the dogs would disappear at night. They work very well and will last quite a while at night if they get decent sun.

 

URPOWER Solar Lights, 2-in-1 Waterproof 4 LED Solar Spotlight Adjustable Wall Light Landscape Light Security Lighting Dark Sensing Auto On/Off for Patio Deck Yard Garden Driveway Pool Area(2 Pack)

[amh]

Some waterproof led rope lights could be used for path illumination, unfortunately I'm not the best person to give lighting opinions because I prefer the dark.

[redant]

21 hours ago, thallo said:

This is very much the effect I’m looking to achieve. Are your lights all on one “chain” cord? I only have one outlet outside. Thanks for the video!

one transformer and one long wire. In the old days you could not do this as the lights required to much electricity but with the leds it's not a problem. 

[NickJames]

27 minutes ago, redant said:

one transformer and one long wire. In the old days you could not do this as the lights required to much electricity but with the leds it's not a problem. 

Up vote! I have one long higher gauge low voltage wire that runs through my whole backyard. I probably didn’t need the higher gauge but the cost difference was not much - probably just harder to work with. My GFCI is very sensitive and I’ve never tripped it so they are extremely watertight. 

[Allen]

Here's the way my solar ones look at night on some of my palms.

 

 

[waykoolplantz]

we use Volt lighting LED

[redant]

48 minutes ago, Allen said:

Here's the way my solar ones look at night on some of my palms.

 

 

Looks nice, my backyard gets zero direct sunlight with a massive canopy so those would never really work for me.

[Allen]

25 minutes ago, redant said:

Looks nice, my backyard gets zero direct sunlight with a massive canopy so those would never really work for me.

They don't have to get direct sun.  It took me about a year of owning them to figure that out.  Sure they won't last as long but one in full summer shade can burn 3-5 hours easy and one in full sun will be on all night.   I have a lumen meter and my first wakeup to this was realizing that outdoor in full shade is the roughly the same amount of lumens as indoor one foot under a 4 foot long grow light.  Both had lumens of about 4000.  Mine will work in the shade.  Your palms have to get quite a bit of light under that canopy so the lights will probably work.  Get a couple and try them for a experiment if you have places that are hard to run the cord to.