Solar security lights are a great way to reduce the vulnerability of a business premise or protect your home. Floodlights and wall lights banish dark shadows and corners where opportunist criminals can enter and leave undetected.

The great aspect of choosing solar lights over a cabled alternative is that a solar security light works independently from the national grid, requires zero wiring, and uses a free, green energy source, which means your security lights will function continually without any ongoing costs.

However, even the best quality, high-performing solar light will only prove effective if it is installed in the optimal position, capturing plenty of sunlight to maintain a charge, and without leaving gaps in your security that criminals can exploit.

Key Considerations When Deciding Where to Install Your Solar Security Lights

Solar-powered lighting is an excellent way to prevent risks, from ensuring trip hazards are well lit to removing gloomy access routes to your home or business – but they also act as a deterrent because a property that is visibly well protected is less of an easy target.

The SoLight team often shares guidance on why solar lighting placements matter, because if the solar cells don’t absorb sufficient solar energy, perhaps because the light is in a shady spot or sunlight is hampered by tree branches, the lights won’t work as they should.

Here is a quick recap of the important factors to look at before you make any installation decisions:

  • Where will your security lighting be best able to fully recharge every time the weather is bright and sunny?
  • Is your preferred installation spot visible from all entry routes, or will you need multiple lights to cover the front and back of the property?
  • Will your chosen lighting model be easy to notice, or would you benefit from another unit or signage to clarify the presence of security lighting?
  • Have you checked if the brightness and quality of the lighting is enough to cover the whole of a pathway or parking bay – or will you need a more powerful light?

It’s also well worth considering whether a motion sensor or detector would be beneficial, and at what point within your property perimeter you’d like movement to activate your security lights.

Tips on Picking the Right LED Solar Security Lights for Your Property

SoLight stocks a wide range of advanced security lighting products, but a lot may depend on how you’d like your lights to look and function, and whether you want a security light you can mount on a pole or mast, fix to a wall or fence, or have staked into the ground as a lower-level lighting unit.

A security floodlight is often seen as the best option for businesses, given the wider angle coverage and bright illumination that can cover larger areas. 

However, if you have neighbours adjacent to your premises or need security lighting for a home, this may feel a little disruptive, especially if you have motion-activated lights that may turn on multiple times during the night.

Alternatives to consider include:

  • Dual-action decorative and security lights, which light up paths and walkways while also highlighting movement that occurs during the hours of darkness. The Mars 5 is a great example of this type of security light.
  • Backyard solar lighting, often used within pool and play areas, such as the Mars 1 model. These lights can detect unusual activity and also augment safety when using these outdoor spaces.
  • Discrete multi-purpose lights, such as the Solar Multi-Purpose Light, which are versatile enough to be used in various settings, including car ports, porches, parking spaces, entrances, and pathways to your door.

If you’re purchasing security lights for a residential property, or for use in a yard or garden with residents next door, it’s also important to consider the angles the light should be installed at to avoid directing bright glare towards a neighbour’s windows.

Expert Advice on Choosing the Optimal Security Light Placements

For most homeowners, there is an obvious space that requires additional security, normally a front door, a back gate, a path, a balcony door or a driveway, which can make it easier to decide where to install your lights to offer the reassurance you need.

As always, you’ll need a space with as much direct sunlight as possible, which ensures the solar battery can reach a full charge on sunny days. During cloudy, overcast weather and overnight, a fully charged battery can operate with step-down lighting, which means one charge can provide several days of consistent lighting.

Next, we’d suggest looking at any features of your home or space that pose a safety hazard, since a dual-purpose light can brighten paths, steps and water features to guard against falls and accidents, alongside working as a security light.

The general rule of thumb is to position your solar lights at a reasonable height, with the LEDs directed downwards to the ground. Most opt to install lights anywhere from 1.8 to three metres – primarily because lower lights may be easier to tamper with, or the motion sensors might be at an angle that an intruder could simply avoid.

Positioning wall lights and mast-mounted units a little higher enhances the radius covered and also softens the light a little, rather than having a sharp, full-power beam focused on one spot.

The flipside is that if your lights are positioned too high on a wall or pole, the lighting might be dispersed over too large an area, resulting in dim illuminations. This can pose a practical issue if the lighting unit is too far away from a motion sensor or the area you want to cover to be effective.

Independent Assistance With Choosing and Installing Solar Security Lights

We hope this guide has helped clarify the key factors that will influence the best places to fit your solar security lights, and some of the varied models and types of solar lighting that are used to improve home and business security.

If you need further guidance about the security lighting most suited to your requirements, the units that will be easiest to install, or how to pick the ideal spot for your lights to be installed, you are welcome to contact the SoLight team.