Welcome your guests in the evening and enjoy your back yard at night without paying any electrical bills. Plus, the lights stay on all night for security and you do not need an electrician, since the lights run on a photocell and turn on automatically each night.

The lights have minimal maintenance, and new technology offers more powerful batteries and brighter light. There are several options for bright spot lights to illuminate trees, but solar path lights typically give off about the equivalent in ‘lumens’ of a 60 watt bulb, and they typically run for about 11 hours each night.

The cost of solar lights is about $10 - $40 each plus about $2.50 per battery with a life of 5 years. vs. traditional lights at about $15 each. So, you pay more, but at an offset cost per kWh of $0.98, the savings over time is significant.

The ROI Calculation is based on using premium level $40 fixtures since the less expensive ones do not give off as high quality light (8 lights, 4 in the front and four in the back or any combination that is right for you). The calculation also factors in additional wire, additional batteries after five years, and a consideration to replace two of them if damaged by pets or branches.

Choose fixtures that have enough solar panels to generate the light that you need, and make sure that the photocell ‘eye’ is clear from any dirt or tree sap to activate the light in the evening.	TAKE ACTION Calculate Savings for Your House: Click Here then select the 'Energy Efficient' Tab Find Solar Powered Path & Garden Lights: Click Here Find an Outdoor Lighting Electrician near you (Pre-Screened and/or Member Referred) Click Here
For lighting up trees or spot lighting a façade you’ll need more power than localized solar can provide, so consider either low voltage lighting or line volt fixtures. The advantage of line voltage is that you save by not needing a transformer and you also save by being able to use a Compact Florescent Light, in this case a fixture with a lens covers a spiral CFL.