Solar and wired lighting: which is better?

With electricity prices soaring, more and more households are turning to solar lighting for outdoor use. But is its light just as effective as wired lighting? What are the advantages and limitations of each? Solar lighting VS wired lighting, which should you choose for your garden? We take a look.

Solar lighting VS wired lighting: understanding the basics

L'solar lighting is equipped with small photovoltaic panels that absorb the sun's rays. This electromagnetic radiation enables solar energy to be converted into electricity through what's known as the "photoelectric effect". In simple terms, photons, or particles of light, strike the cells of solar panels, stimulating electrons and generating an electric current. Throughout the day, this electricity is stored in batteries. It is then used to power LEDs, which give off light when night falls, unlike wired lighting, which depends on the electrical grid and requires connections to operate.

Advantages and limitations of solar lighting

The benefits of solar luminaires

 

• Easy installation: unlike wired lighting, which requires wiring, solar luminaires can be easily installed anywhere, with no connection costs. They're ideal for areas with no electrical access. So you can light a terrace without electricity, with ease..

Autonomous lighting: no more power failures to spoil your summer evenings: the solar lamp is totally autonomous!

• Environmentally-friendly lighting: depending on the year, electricity production worldwide emits around 40% of CO2 into the air. By opting for solar lighting, you're using clean energy that helps preserve the environment.

• Economical lighting: last but not least, savings. The light generated by an outdoor solar lamp is completely free. The result? Lower electricity bills. 

 

The limits of solar lamps 

Solar lighting has long suffered from a bad reputation, particularly in terms of performance. But all that is a distant memory. In the meantime, new solar solutions have emerged to tackle the problems of : 

• Luminous efficiency: Solar lamps used to have a lower luminosity than traditional lighting. This is no longer the case.
• Battery : Solar lamp batteries tended to deteriorate rapidly. This can still be the case with poor-quality models.
• Weather resistance: on some models, the lamp and reflector tarnished in the rain.
• Recharging system: often, if the device wasn't south-facing, it didn't store enough energy. This is a thing of the past if you opt for quality solar lighting.

The advantages and limitations of wired lighting

The benefits of traditional lighting

• Long-lasting lighting quality: summer or winter, the quality of this lighting doesn't vary.

• Cheaper to buy: Wired bollards, wallwashers or spotlights are often cheaper to buy.

• Easy installation: Provided that the place where you want to install the lamp is already wired, installation remains simple. Lumihome offers solutions such as outdoor floor lampswhich are ultra-easy to install.

• Practical options Wired lighting also offers a number of options for certain models. These includesensor lightingsensor lighting, for example.

The limits of wired outdoor lighting

The fact that wired lighting is dependent on the electrical grid inevitably entails a number of disadvantages, such as : 

• Limited installation flexibility: the site must be electrified, which limits the installation of wired solutions in the garden. There are, however, well-designed alternatives that are easy to install. These include Lumihome or the 230V outdoor recessed spotlights.

• Recurrent power failures : a frequent occurrence in summer, when thunderstorms are common.
• Highly dependent on fluctuating electricity prices: in the event of a sharp rise, electricity bills can become expensive.
• High installation costs: if the cables are not present in the desired location, installation work is costly.

Can solar lighting replace electric lighting? Spoiler: yes, provided you make the right choice. 

Stay away from the bottom of the range!

At first glance, you might think that wired lighting is still the most reliable and efficient solution. As we've seen, solar lighting has its limits, and this will inevitably be the case if you choose the first price. Indeed, if you buy a low-end solar light, don't expect incredible performance and durability. 

Say yes to quality!

The solution: opt for quality solar solutions. More expensive to buy, they are capable of perfectly replacing your electric lighting. So what's so special about them? 

• New-generation photovoltaic panels: top-of-the-range models feature high-quality panels incorporating monocrystalline collectors with amplifiers. With these technologies, solar lamps are able to capture light even in low-light conditions, such as on cloudy days or in shady areas. Lumihome solar products are naturally equipped with this technology. You'll find this technology on our Led Genova solar bollardand many other models.

• Powerful, interchangeable Li-Ion batteries: "low-end solar luminaires generally have batteries that are just as powerful, explains Christophe Coelho. As a result, they deteriorate rapidly and store very little light. Apart from quality, the problem with this type of battery is that it's often irreplaceable. This means you'll have to replace your entire system. At Lumihome, our batteries come with a 3-year warranty, are interchangeable and are designed with lithium-ion."

• Durable lamps: quality solar luminaires are made of stainless steel, then coated with an anti-corrosion treatment to stand the test of time.

So, solar lighting VS wired lighting. As you can see, solar-powered solutions have everything going for them... but only if you choose quality. For an enlightened choice, don't hesitate to combine the two types of lighting to benefit from the advantages of each while minimizing their respective limitations.