Have you recently purchased solar lights? If yes, then you must have the question in your mind “how long do solar lights stay on at night?” The manufacturer or dealer must say to you that it works for more than 8 hours or that solar light works from dusk to dawn.
But it’s a common observation that solar lights often don’t work the whole night. However, there are many tips by using them your solar lights can stay on long at night.
Table of contents
How Do Solar Lights Work?
Before moving to the key topic we should understand the working of the solar light first. Solar light consists of four components a solar photovoltaic panel, a light fixture, a battery, and controlled electrons.
In day time solar panel takes sunlight and convert it into electrical energy which can be used immediately or stored in the battery for night-time usage.
Why your solar lights don’t stay ON all night?
There are many factors that affect the performance of Solar light. Some of them are as follows:
- The Intensity of Solar radiation
- Capacity of battery
- Quality of solar unit
- Climate conditions
- Orientation of solar panels
- Cleanliness of panel
- Proper Wiring
- Shady location
- Usage
Tips to Maximize Illumination Hours for Your Solar Lights
One night my solar light was not working. I checked what the problem is. I called my electrician and asked him what should I do. He asked me about the following things then I came to know that there was a little breakage in the wiring. My electrician told me how to correct it.
And my solar light started working again. Some of the tips are as follows:
1-The Intensity of Solar Radiation
The intensity of solar radiation is the major factor that affects the performance of solar light. If there is intense radiation the panel will absorb more solar energy and convert it into electrical energy. So the solar light will stay on longer at night.
2-Increase the Capacity of the Battery
Battery capacity and quality are also a factor. As much as the battery is charged the longer will be the solar light stay on. The capacity of the battery starts decreasing over time.
Replace the battery if the capacity of the battery became low. Every battery has a particular number of charge cycles. Some batteries have 1000 cycles and some have 1500 cycles after the usage of cycles the capability of the battery to store energy becomes low, and it becomes dead. Therefore the solar light will not work.
3-Good Climate Condition
Solar light’s performance also depends on the climate condition. If it’s a cloudy day the panel is not capable to absorb enough sunlight which causes a shortage of electrical energy, and the solar light wouldn’t stay on longer at night.
Also, Read This: Why did My Electric Blanket Shut OFF? Best Solutions.
There may be a possibility that solar light wouldn’t work on a cloudy day.
4-Correct Orientation of Solar Panels
The orientation of panels matters a lot. The general rule for the orientation of the solar panels is that panels should face the direct sun, so the solar panels will receive direct sunlight throughout the day. It will store more energy and the solar light will illuminate longer at night.
5-Clean the Solar Panels
Sometimes the cleanliness of solar panels is neglected. But it is a crucial factor. The dusty panel cannot absorb solar radiation properly. There are different methods to clean panels, but the best way to clean solar panels is by using a soft cloth or biodegradable soap.
It is better to clean panels often for the better performance of solar light.
6-Make Sure Your Wiring is proper
The selection of wire for a solar light is also important. The wire for a solar unit should be thick than normal wire so it can tolerate a heavy flow of energy. It should connect with each terminal properly. So the flow of the intense solar energy can easily take place through the whole unit.
Check that there shouldn’t be any breakage in the wiring.
7-Usage of Solar Lights
The performance of solar lights also depends on their usage. New solar lights stay on longer at night than the old ones.
By noticing above mentioned features you can get an idea that how long your solar light stays longer at night.
FAQs about Solar Lights
When you purchase solar lights many questions arise in your mind. Here are a few questions among them. Maybe one of the questions would solve your confusion.
Can we leave solar lights on all of the time?
It’s ok to turn on your solar light all the time. But it minimizes the life span of solar light. To maximize the life span it is better to turn off solar lights in the daytime.
How do solar lights illuminate at night?
Solar lights automatically illuminate at night after detecting the absence of sunlight with a built-in photocell sensor. Solar Lights auto-activate at sunset and deactivate in the morning.
Should we turn off solar lights at night?
Generally, we do not have to physically turn off solar lights at night. The photocell light sensors will activate solar lights when it is dark and automatically shut them off in the morning.
Do my solar light works automatically?
Yes, for some solar lights, controls can be set to turn your solar lights on and off at particular times each day.
Can we make solar lights brighter?
Yes, many high-powered devices like solar security lights can conveniently match the brightness levels of any existing property lighting system.
How long do solar lights last?
A normal solar light can last for 2 to 5 years. But its duration can be increased by bringing solar lights inside during winter or rainy season.
Are solar lights worth the money?
Yes, in most cases solar lights are worth the money when functioning on totally free electricity.
What do we do with old solar lights?
Solar lights are made up of bulbs, batteries, and other materials which can be recycled. It is better to recycle your old solar lights.
Related: Half My Solar Lights Working. Why?
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, you have got the idea that at night your solar lights would stay on longer or not. To make your solar light illuminate longer, you would have to consider all the above-mentioned points. Make sure your solar unit and all its components are functioning properly.