Solar Powered Products

Many people are interested in solar powered products, and in making their lifestyles more environmentally friendly.  But, due to inertia or lack of knowledge, and sometimes finances, most of us just keep doing what we always have and using standard technology. Well, here are a few solar powered products for beginners. These simple devices are easy to  use and install, they don’t use up any more resources once installed and they operate off of free solar energy so there is no electrical bill to worry about with these.

Solar garden lights are really popular these days, since they are cheap to buy, cheap to run and really easy to put in. And they look great too! My favourites are the solar stainless steel lights, since I like the polished metal look. Many other syles of solar garden lights are out there, and some at unbelievably low prices!

Solar post cap lights and solar deck rail lights are very similar in design to the garden lights, but are meant to be placed on top of fence posts, gate posts, and deck railings. These add an ambient glow after the sun goes down, for up to 8 hours. The next day, they charge back up and are ready to go all night again.

For those of you with a home that gets way to hot in the summer, you might want to consider a solar powered attic fan. For the do it yourselfer, these these are one of the best solar powered products for beginners. First of all, with their own solar panel for power, these solar powered products don’t need to be wired in by an electrician. Also, they can be installed in your roof using common materials and techniques, so using the instructions will allow many to intsall their own solar attic fan.

How about flexible solar panels that you can carry with hiking, camping and canoeing? These handy solar products can rcharge small electronic devices such as cell phones, iPods, rechargeable flashlights, and even laptops. Of course, you aren’t roughing it any more with all this technology, but it is handy.

Another outdoors related solar product is the rv solar panel, for use on your holiday trailer. These camper solar panels are mounted on the roof, to recharge the deep cycle batteries and free you from the necessity of carrying a noisy generator.

So as you can see, there are plenty of solar powered products for beginners. After you learn more, you may want to get involved in a solar powered home or other sun powered technology.

To add the finishing touch to fence posts, deck corner posts, gateway posts and other such spots, many people use a solar post cap light. They come in many different styles, to match your outdoor motif and personality. A row of these lights, on a long stretch of fenceline, looks great every night as dusk settles. And as solar deck rail lights, they also add a lot to the atmosphere of your back yard.

The light given off by these post cap lights is an ambient light, not suitable for tasks. If you need brighter lights, you may have to look into solar powered yard lights, which can be much more radiant. For most garden lighting, these are enough considering the low cost for electricity.

They use the power of the sun to recharge and therefore cost nothing to operate. In most ways these post cap lights are identical to solar powered garden lights, except they are mounted on top of a post rather than a peg or rod in the ground. The led lights are powered at night by 2 rechargeable AA batteries, which can last 8 to 10 hours.  The small solar panel on the top of the light recharges the batteries all day, to be ready by nightfall again.

If it becomes necessary to replace the batteries, make sure rechargeables are used, since regular batteries might wreck the solar powered post cap light. A lifespan of up to 10 years is possible for the light, but the batteries may not last more than 3. I have owned several solar lights for more than 2 years, and they are still working on their first set of batteries.  Fortunately, they are easy to remove and replace when it becomes necessary..

For installation, manufacturers may recommend an exterior grade construction adhesive for attaching your new solar post cap lights to the post. Make sure you read all the instructions should you install these yourself.

One great decorative idea is to use these solar deck rail lights on the corners and stairs of your deck. Inbetween the lights, regular decorative post caps can be used to accentuate the effect. This is a very cost effective, energy efficient way to add the the look of a deck or outdoor area.

During warm and humid times of the year,it can really help to ventilate the attic of a house. There are passive systems which rely on air flow through ‘whirlybirds’, or vent fans wired into the electrical supply of the house. One option which is more environmentally friendly and will cost nothing to operate is the solar powered attic fan. These units are usually mounted near the ridge or peak of the roof. As long as there are gable or soffit vents, the unit can draw air through the attic.

The solar powered attic fan utilizes a small solar panel to run a DC motor. While the sun is shining, the fan draws cooler air up through the vents and releases it above the roof. THis moves some of the heat and moisture out of the roof, and can reduce the overall temperature inside the building.

A do it yourselfer or a roofer can install one of these solar powered attic fans using conventional tools and materials fairly easily. since it is powere by the sun, no electrician would be need to wire the unit. As well, operating costs would be non-existent for these solar powered products. Overall, they can be considered an environmentally friendly upgrade for an existing home. These units can be found online, or at certain home improvement centres.