Plant Gardens 101

Solar powered bird baths at British Bird Lovers.”>Birds are attracted to water so having a bird bath with a fountain will encourage them to return to your garden again and again. Use solar panels to circulate the water and you are being eco-friendly.

Another of the benefits of using solar panels rather than electricity is that you can be more flexible where you position your bird bath.

Solar powered bird baths often contain a heating element which prevents the water from freezing in the winter.

The solar panels are either integrated in the bird bath or there is a separate panel that you place a short distance away. The solar panels soak energy during the day and use it to pump the fountain or store it in a battery pack for later use. (more…)

When someone thinks of solar powered outdoor lighting, the first thought that comes to mind are usually the solar panels that charge up in the sunlight, providing electricity to a building. While this is common, solar powered outdoor lighting does take shape in many forms. For instance, have you ever considered adding solar powered lights for your garden or along the pathway up to your house or driveway? As unusual as it may sound for some of you, these little innovative ideas may actually help you cut out some cost to your electricity bill while adding a lovely aesthetic to your home or garden.

Highlighting a walkway, driveway or even your backyard with path lighting is always a good idea, especially if you have a lot of obstacles such as sprinklers, toys or planters that would be difficult to spot during the night. Solar powered path lighting works like any ordinary path light, except it relies on solar energy to charge up during the day. And what makes it even more convenient is that even if the sun isn’t fully shining, there will still be enough UV rays out for the panel to charge up. In the end, you’d be cutting costs on your electricity bill just by using this eco-friendly method of outdoor lighting. (more…)

Solar Pumps and Solar Lights for Ponds

As the president of a company that sells a lot of fountain pumps, and who also receives a lot of OEM inquiries, I’ve been around the block on solar pumps. They seem like such a great idea. No wiring needed! No electric bill! I tried to sell solar pumps to major fountain manufacturers but never got a sample to one of them that could pass muster.

Many customers believe that we are just too lazy to try solar, or we don’t want to cut into a 110-volt market that is already doing well. But the truth of the matter is that solar still runs into quite a few problems, not the least of which has been, in my experience, not enough sunlight!

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