Solar Power for Post Lighting

Solar energy is all around us, but most people don't notice it. For instance, the power source for many emergency phones on freeways is powered by it. This brings us the subject of solar post lights.

Solar Power for Post Lighting

Solar energy started to come into popularity in the 1970s, when technology advances combined with massive oil price increases to make solar a popular alternative energy source. Back then, the world was just starting to become more aware about the risks of using so many non-renewable resources, and people wanted to decrease their dependence on fossil fuels. Now, solar power is being used by many different people all across the world, both in big and small ways. One of the small, but still important ways it is being used is in solar post lights.

Often, people want to light their driveways or backyards. Aside from running expensive extension cords to lamps, using battery after battery, or running lines in underground pipes, there really weren't many choices to power their lamps. Now, solar post lights are regularly used by those who want the convenience of not having to change batteries, and those who want to save money on their electric bill.

Solar post lights work by using very small solar panels, which are attached to an energy collector. These solar panels stay out in the sun all day, attached to your post, and they soak up all of the sun's solar energy. The energy collector in many of the solar post lights is a NiCad rechargeable battery, most of which can go up to 1000 charges! That is about three years. The light that is powered by the battery is an LED light, which takes very little power but emits a bright light. LEDs can last up to 25 years, making solar post lights a very economical investment. These lights will emit their soft glow for many hours during the night, depending on the amount of solar energy they received during the day.

Other advantages to solar lights are that there are no wires needed, so installation is very easy. Also, you can often buy the lights individually, so there is no need to buy a large package of the lights if you only need a few to illuminate your way. Each light runs independent of the others, so if one light malfunctions, the rest will still be there and glowing.

Whether you choose to buy a few or a lot of the solar post lights, they are still the most economical and ecology minded choice for your driveway and fence lighting needs. With a long lifespan and easy installation, these lamps are the perfect thing to shine through the dark of your front yard.

Fountains of Refreshment

When hot, sticky days hit, try to use all your senses to keep cool. Sight and sound have amazing psychological effects, even when the thermometer soars.

One of the most cooling and relaxing sounds I know is that of a trickling spring. It relaxes my mind and helps my body unwind. In the city, it can drown out the sounds of the daily hustle and bustle of life, calming and refreshing the spirit. I also love the glinting, reflective surface of water. You can have the soothing coolness of water without a huge space so why not recreate this in your outdoor living area?

Some small water features have still water and aquatic plants but with the fight to remove stagnant water where mosquitoes can breed, many people now prefer items with moving water.

The most popular "moving water" items are tabletop fountains, statuary fountains and spitting creatures. All rely on a pump to circulate water through the feature. The water is pumped up through plastic tubing and released into the fountain, returning to the bottom where it is pumped up the tubing again. Most pumps run on an electrical connection but some smaller tabletop fountains have batteries. There are also solar units available that require no electrical hook-up.

Simple or elaborate, all fountain features have the following elements:

a "bottom" where the pump where will be located and the water returns. This can be a large pot, an urn, a trough and so on.




a "top" from which the water will emerge. This can be a small pot, a fanciful creature such as a frog, a conch shell, etc.




a "middle" - the water course which will receive the water from the top and return it to the bottom. This can be pots, pebbles, shells, marbles, or even empty space, creating a freefall.




a pump. Give crucial attention to two features of the pump: maximum gallons per hour (gph) and maximum lift.

The gph can vary from 35 gph for a small battery-operated tabletop unit to over 600 gph for large garden fountains. Choose one appropriate to the size of your water feature - more is not necessarily better. A low gph will give you a gurgling effect in the same fountain that a higher gph pump would provide a steady stream - or even splash. It's strictly a personal preference within the range recommended for the fountain size.

The maximum lift figure tells you how high you can expect your "little pump that could" to push the water. A small pump that has a lift of "up to 2 feet", for example would not be appropriate for your 3-foot wall mounted lion's head.

You will also want to consider the length of the electrical cord if applicable, and whether the unit has an on/off switch, if that's important to you. Remember, though, that water left sitting will stagnate.

If you are making your own fountain, the pump is the most important part. Pump kits are available that include pump and tubing but tubing is quite inexpensive (about 60¢ per foot) and can be purchased at most garden centers.

You can make a fountain from something as simple as terracotta pots and pebbles. For instructions, visit [http://www.paradiseporch.com/fountain.php]

So soothe your senses with the calming sounds of moving water and keep cool in your outdoor space!