Solar Landscape Lights For Indoor Emergency Lighting
Solar landscape lights. They can also be used for emergency lighting, for ‘just in case’. Repurposed (dual use) as not only outdoor lighting, but indoor lights when the power goes out. Here are a few tips and recommendations about this simple but effective concept.
Not only will they spruce up your landscape appearance during the evening, but also become a potential source of lighting for inside the house, if you need it.
Solar Landscape Lights – Repurposed For Indoor Emergency Lighting
Ordinarily, a power outage won’t last too long. Flashlights and/or battery powered LED lanterns will likely be good enough. However, for those into prepping and preparedness, some will also prepare for a longer lasting power outage. Or even a grid-down situation.
While there are a number of ways to go about it, one simple solution for indoor emergency lighting is to use solar landscape lights. Just bring a few of them in at night..
How it works
It’s solar, so the lighting is free. And you’re looking at many, many years of service. The way it works.. It’s simple. Typically, a built-in solar panel will charge a built-in rechargeable battery during the day. A light sensor will detect when it’s evening or nighttime, and automatically switch on a LED light.
Use them anywhere
Typically spiked into the ground. Maybe along a walkway. Edges. Wherever..
I have about a dozen fastened to my chicken yard fence. I used tie-wraps (cable ties) to secure the plastic solar landscape light post/tubes to the top portion of the T-posts. The light/globe assembly can be easily pulled out or inserted back into the tube.
Easy to bring inside
I like this particular style of solar landscape lights (there are lots to pick from). The top part/assembly (with the solar panel, charger, battery, and LED light) easily twists off of the glass globe.
Flip it over for access to the battery compartment. The battery can be replaced and/or upgraded. The easy twist off top assembly also enables you to simply bring this part inside for emergency lighting (rather than the entire globe too).
However you may instead choose to bring in the entire thing with the globe as well (including the attached top solar lighting assembly). This may help with scattering the LED light – instead of a harsh single-point light source (example photo below). It’s simply a personal preference for emergency usage.
Some are brighter than others
I searched for a similar style on amzn of high quality, and which appears to disassemble like what I have. Here’s the best reviewed solar landscape lights. They also output 10 lumens each:
BEAU JARDIN 8 Pack
(amzn)
Let me say this.. Solar landscape lights are not super bright. That is, compared with other methods of emergency lighting. However some are brighter than others (e.g. 10 lumens in the example above). As it is with most things, you do get what you pay for..
In my view, generally speaking, solar landscape lights are bright enough for emergency preparedness to illuminate a room in your home. Especially when you figure that the sun will recharge them (no need for an AC powered battery charger). They will always be ready to use. Plus, these will last for years and years – all free solar power..
Here’s a photo showing my solar landscape light with the globe assembly attached – setting upside down indoors. It provides a decent glow. Also, after your eyes adjust to lower light levels, it really is pretty good for seeing around.
Upgrade the battery in your solar landscape lights
My landscape lights each came with a 700 mAh rechargeable NiMH battery. That’s not too bad. However since the battery compartment is accessible, I could upgrade to a larger capacity battery.
For example, I’ve posted about my favorite rechargeable batteries. The Eneloop. The one’s that I have are rated at 1900 mAh. That’s more than 2.5 times the capacity..
Summary
Emergency indoor lighting for when the power grid is out. It’s just one tiny aspect of prepping and preparedness. There are LOTS of ways to deal with this. However this one little ‘trick’ (dual use) is something to consider. I like the fact that it’s simply harnessing the sun’s energy. No plug outlet necessary ;)
[ Read: Best AA Rechargeable Batteries – The Eneloop – Why I Like Them ]
[ Read: LED Lantern Technology For Preparedness ]