Solar Christmas lights are a very popular and cost effective Christmas decoration. Such lights will save you up to 100 watts per each string. Another advantage of solar Christmas lights is that you will never have to turn them on or off. The lights will start to shine on their own in the evening, making for a magical Christmas.

One of the advantages of solar Christmas lights is that they eliminate the need of a power outlet. You can decorate any tree in your garden, no matter how far away it is from the house. Decorating your Christmas trees this way is much safer, easier and more cost-effective.

Solar Christmas lights come with little solar panels, which easily stick into the ground, as well as, they can be placed on a branch. Solar panels include solar cells (usually 4 cells), a rechargeable battery and a light sensor. Solar cells convert the sunlight into electricity, and on a sunny day the sun will give enough energy to completely recharge the battery.

Solar Christmas lights are also available with special built-in polycrystalline cells, which better absorb the sunlight, allowing the lights to shine bright even after a snowy, rainy or an overcast day.

How long will the solar Christmas lights stay on? One hour of straight sunlight in the daytime will make the lights shine for about one hour in the evening. Thus, if you live in an area with about 10 hours of sunshine in the daytime, your lights will stay on for about 10 hours with the onset of evening.

Most common shapes of solar Christmas lights include: round, oval and teardrop shapes. Most common colors include: blue, red, green, and yellow. You can choose the type of light to your preference; some lights have soft and dim light, while others have bright and clear light.

Many gardeners keep their solar Christmas lights in their gardens even after the Christmas holidays are over. For example, if you have an arch in your garden, you can decorate it with these lights, adding to your garden’s ambiance. You can also make use of these lights for birthdays, anniversaries, porch lighting, and pathway lighting.

Not everybody lives in an area with constant sunshine. It is better to opt for the solar Christmas lights, which are operated with a rechargeable AA size battery. If the day was rainy or snowy, the homeowners can recharge the battery themselves with a regular battery charger.

You can have as many strings of solar Christmas lights as you want on the trees, and you will never have to worry about running the cords across your yard, never have to worry about turning the lights on and off, and most important, you will never have to worry about paying hundreds of dollars for electricity!

A good idea would be to watch your garden for a couple of days prior to placing your solar Christmas lights. You would need to ensure that the area where you want the lights placed, does not have a shadow cast. Furthermore, make sure to place the solar panel of your solar Christmas lights so that it is directly in the sunlight.

About the author: John Monsholi is passionate about solar Christmas lights and solar holiday light ideas.