Ask an Expert

Q:I would like to buy a kit or the materials to power three 45 watt led grow panels could you please point me in the right direction

A:

A 45 watt Grow Light requires approximately 45 watts of power per hour unless otherwise stated in the manual or technical characteristics of the light. Like any outdoor solar light or equipment to be powered with solar panels, you will have to determine the run time of your application on a daily basis. The actually run time multiplied by the amount of power of the Solar Grow Light will give you the numbers you need to calculate how many solar panels you will need to buy. If the LED solar lights are DC then your configuration will be easier because you will not necessary need a solar inverter. In the event the Solar Grow Lights are AC then you will need an inverter so that you can convert DC to AC. Feel free to visit SolarTown's solar panels section or inverters section to compare different home solar panels and inverters that will work for your off grid system.

02-01-2013 by randy Category: Solar Lights and Garden

Q:I have solar stake lights along my driveway. Unfortunately previous owner put dirt flower beds along side of new driveway over the old concrete driveway instead of removing. Some of my stake lights do not have enough dirt to hold them upright on the old concrete. Are there some kind of collars or weighted bases that I could use to hold them upright? I can not make a hole large enough in the conmcrete to insert the stake but I could use concrete screws to attach a collar or plate to insert the solar light stake into. Do they make a product for this purpose?

A:

Outdoor solar lights are sold by SolarTown for a variety of pathways and driveways. For your application, first you want to measure the depth of the top soil. A rough estimate will be fine. With that measurement you can then choose a solar light that can be imbedded within those parameters. Solar Lights come in different lengths and weight, if the soil is not that deep you can use a smaller solar light which normally will be lighter and require less depth to secure properly. If there is concrete below the soil, you can always use a hammer drill and anchor the solar light in place. Solar landscape lights physical characteristics will vary but if it is relatively light you can use a small 5/16 or 1/4 inch anchor because they require a smaller hole drilled into the concrete and the anchor types are relatively easy to install. Feel free to visit SolarTown's outdoor solar lights to determine which light works best for your application or contact us for any questions you may have.

01-13-2013 by Robin R Category: Solar Lights and Garden

Q:I would like to place a "soft" solar light under a second story deck with a patio below. The solar collector would have to go on top of the deck and the lights below. I don't want spotlights but something more defused. Suggestions?

A:

You will find in our solar landscape light section many fun options available to tackle your project. Gama Sonic sells a great outdoor solar light. The solar panel is mounted outside the building and the light itself is inside the building. You can find the solar light by doing a search for gama sonic solar she light on SolarTown. You will need to mount the solar panel somewhere along the side of your deck and then run the wire to the light. Another option would be to go with a solar table light. At SolarTown, we have solar table lights by Smart Solar which you can find by searching for solar lights by brand. Solar table lights are usually placed on top of a table or any flat surface. All patios should have a table so that you can lounge around when relaxing but maybe that is just me. Another option, albeit a touch complicated, may be to drill a hole through the wood and hang a hanging solar light. You will need to cut into and sand the surface on the deck to fit the solar module and extra spacing to fit an impact resist glass or material to cover the module so no one damages the solar panel. This option may require more time than it is actually worth so it may not make much sense. If you have any questions, feel free to contact SolarTown or use our new Live Chat located at the top of the page. Good luck.

08-02-2012 by Jordan Category: Solar Lights and Garden

Q:On a string of lights, the cord from the solar panel connecting to the lights was cut. We have tried to splice it back together but it doesn't work. On the cord, there are two vinyl/rubber covered cords twisted together. With in each tiny cord are three wires the colors of which appear to be identical. So we twisted one set of wires around the other and sealed it up and doesn't work. Does each of the three wires need to be connected a particiular wire?

A:

While most solar powered lights are constructed similar, when you are working at the wire level it is probably best to contact the manufacturer because there may be components that will be proprietary to the company and not available to the public. We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you likely voided the warranty when you cut the wire. And even though the solar light manufacturer will not replace your light, it will have a better idea of the component parts needed to repair the damaged light. Manufacturers usually will have spare parts to service solar lights. Hopefully this will help some.

06-11-2012 by Susan J Category: Solar Lights and Garden

Q:I'm building an expansion on my house, not the average expansion, my own little Brewery. I have two refrigerators that I hook up temperature control units to for regulating temperature of my Fermenting beer. Alongside the other refrigerator and standalone freezer I have in my house for food I am losing so much money on electricity it's hard to afford ingredients for my beer? What kind of solar setup would I need to power two refrigerators and maybe some lights (LED)?

A:

There are several ways to tackle the project. For the lighting side, you can install a portable solar led light. The setup is usually straight forward, place the solar panel outside and the cable will run into the house that powers the led light. There are a few options here at SolarTown that can get the job done like the Maxsa Solar Power Flood Light, which you can find in our solar lighting section for Maxsa solar lights. Another good option is the Gama Sonic Light My Shed Solar Light, a solar shed light that  you can find in our section on Gama Sonic Solar Lights. As for the larger energy utilization coming from the refrigerators and freezers, you may consider installing home solar panels to offset your energy consumption. If net metering is available, you can install a home solar energy system that produces the same amount of energy consumed by the larger appliances which will reduce your monthly energy bill. If you were to power the appliances off batteries, you will need to spec out the technical parameters of the refrigerator and freezer and then size up enough batteries to provide the runtime necessary for what it is you are doing. Feel free to contact SolarTown if you have any additional questions at customerservice@solartown.com or by using SolarTown's new Live Chat feature.

04-13-2012 by @MacPatches Category: Solar Lights and Garden

Q:I need to light a pathway that is in the shade. Do you have lights that have the separate solar panel placed in the sunlight.

A:

The solar path lights we have here at SolarTown will come with an extension cable from the solar module to the first solar light. It really boils down to the solar pathway light and how the manufacturer designed the solar light. Take a look at our solar path lights section for a wide selection of lights that matches your pathway design theme which is where you will also find information regarding the lead wiring. If for some reason the information is not published, feel free to contact us directly for further assistance.

09-28-2011 by Barbara H Category: Solar Lights and Garden

Q:Hi! I want to buy your mosaic tabletop solar lamp for my third-floor apartment balcony. I have a small patio set where I sometimes sit to eat at night and would like a little lamp on the table to provide some lighting. Balcony receives lots of sunlight in the afternoon, but it is not direct light. I dont know how direct the light has to be for the lamp to work. Any advice appreciated. Thanks.

A:

Solar powered lights need sunlight to store in their batteries. The more direct sunlight during the day, the more your solar lights will shine at night. It sounds like your balcony gets enough sun during the day so that you should have enough energy to brighten your table. Most people use the solar table lights you are talking about for ambience, and we sell them also to restaurants who want to replace their messy candles. Let us know if we can help you.

08-01-2011 by Deyanira Category: Solar Lights and Garden

Q:I have a solar Lamp. I replace battery cleaned it up but a new battery but it is working. There is a button above battery should that be pressed in or out

A:

Can you tell us what solar lights you are using? Without knowing what type of solar powered lights you are using, I'm not sure what the button on the battery would do. Some batteries will have a refresh option which you should press every month or so for maintenance purposes to refresh the memory bank on the battery. Let us know what solar lamp you are using or what the battery is. You can contact our customer service or send a message back and we will see if we can help you.

06-12-2011 by Jim Category: Solar Lights and Garden

Q:I am looking for lighting that can be used to accent building features at night. Do I want spot or flood? Are any of the solar lights bright enough?

A:

The choice between solar spot light and solar flood light in this instance is a matter of preference. If you want a more focused beam of light that illuminates a building feature or flag, use a solar spot light. If you are looking to provide general ambient lighting that diffuses light, use a solar flood light. Solar lights come in a variety of outputs and wattages depending on the amount of light you are looking for and the size of the space you are illuminating. If you want simple ambient lighting, the smaller contained systems work well for most home settings. However, if you are attempting to brightly light a sign or large building, solar commercial lights that have higher bulbs and larger solar cells may be what you need. The price range on these items can really vary depending on lighting specifications.

12-15-2009 by Kathleen L Category: Solar Lights and Garden

Q:My lights have been out all day, but lights are not on. How can I make my lights work? Is there a switch to turn the lights on?

A:

Most solar lights operate with a light sensor to automatically switch the bulbs on and off when there is less than 20% available ambient light. However, there is a large variety of solar lighting products, and some of them are equipped with an on/off switch as well. This enables the user to override the light sensor to turn the lights off if they would like to do so. If a solar lamp contains an on off switch, it is listed in the product ‘specs & features' tab on our product page.

07-21-2009 by Name Category: Solar Lights and Garden