Source: Pinterest
To achieve maximum efficiency of your newly bought solar street lights, you should utilize them properly with great care. Admit it or not, most of our possessions usually get damaged or destroyed not because they are less durable and extremely frail, but because we tend to misuse them for a lot of reasons. Moreover, many people have a question, 'do solar panels work at night? Yet, no matter what, consider this: you can always use your solar lamps in such a way that will produce their best and highest performance, beneficial both to you and to the people who use these devices as their source of light at night.

With that being said, here are the 6 tips for using outdoor solar lights:

Charge the solar street lights before use.

Keep in mind that charging before use is extremely necessary. This will also maximize the real lifespan of your solar panels. Allow the solar street lights to be exposed under direct sunlight for roughly around 5-10 cycles. Daytime is charging time, and nighttime is for discharging. This will enable the batteries to get filled to the brim. Once this is done, the solar lights will be able to last for 8 hours in the dark, at least. That is approximately from sunset to sunrise.

Tilt the panels facing the sun.

The placement of solar lamps matters significantly, and so does solar panel orientation. This pertains to the position and angle of the tilted panels. The panels are located above the solar lights. Generally, the panels are tilted at a 30-degree angle in summer and 45-degree angle in winter.

Beware of the walls, roofs, and trees that might block the sunlight that should directly reach the solar panels. Make sure they are free from shades and shadows of what surrounds them.

Deviate from other artificial light sources.

Solar garden panels have sensors that need to be sited correctly. How? The outdoor solar lights should be placed away from other street lights or house lights. They can automatically be activated and deactivated by the amount of light the panels can detect around the area. The light turns on when there is a low-level value of light. Conversely, as the solar units receive more illumination (especially when dawn breaks), the lights turn off.

The solar light sensor will react to the artificial lighting around the devices when they are poorly located. The brightness of other light sources will diminish the sensitivity of the solar panels in sunlight; thus, it will not be very effective in storing the energy that comes from the sun during the day.

Clean the solar panels regularly.

Cleaning is a must! This is not only for hygienic or sanitary purposes but maintaining the solar street lights and the panels’ cleanliness will allow them to leverage their full potential. Any form of dirt, debris, dust, snow, etc. should be kept off the panels. Filthy solar lights will shorten the lifespan of the batteries as they will not charge fully. Proceeding with operation while the devices are unclean will keep the lights from functioning properly.

To regularly clean the solar panels and maintain excellent performance, wipe the panels with a dry cloth soaked in warm water with soap.

Replace the batteries when needed.

To reach its optimum performance, rechargeable batteries should be replaced every two years of interval. However, if the sun barely shows up in your area, or if the winter is longer than the summer, it would be advisable to replace them with new ones every year.

Prevent damage by storing your lights indoors.

While the devices can actually be left outside during the cold season, keeping them within walls will put them in better condition. In stocking your solar garden lights indoors, you can follow the steps below for a more effective way of storing them, preventing any damage or harm on the rechargeable batteries as well as the solar panels.

Choose a dry space with room temperature for the storing of lights.

Even when indoors, set them on a spot where they can still receive sunlight every day. This can be near a window in which the natural light can stream in.

Always remember that the batteries cannot be empty when stored; they need light to keep some charge. If the storage gets prolonged, the solar units must be completely charged once a month. Alternatively, you can just remove the batteries and get a new set when you’re about to use them outside.

Storing the solar lights in the darkness without any amount of light present in the surroundings can damage the batteries and retrograde their capacity to get charged.

Do not overstore solar street lights for more efficient use.

Conclusion

Why do you need these tips for using outdoor solar lights? The above-mentioned points will not only allow you to use your solar devices properly, but they will help you increase the efficiency of the solar-powered street lighting units for your particular application. Adhering to the tips will give you a better experience and a longer lifespan for your solar lights! The effort pays off in the end.
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