Ur My Sunshine

If you’ve ever seen the movie “Christmas Vacation,” you’ve probably recognized traces of Clark Griswold in the people you know. My father was similarly obsessed with putting on the most gaudy, elaborate display of lights on the block. Tact and subtlety were not terms that held much weight in his mind, and the other heads of household in the neighborhood only stoked his competitive spirit.

There are two events that my siblings and I could always count on when Christmas time rolled around. First, our dad would take every opportunity to gloat about the lighting effects at our annual holiday party. Then, when the December electrical bill arrived sometime in January, he would stomp around the house in sheer disbelief that all that wastefulness could come at a cost. I think of those times now in my adult life when I string up a solar Christmas light or two around the residence.

My wife and I just finished hosting our annual Halloween party, and for the first time it went off without a hitch. Don’t get me wrong: we’ve always had a blast bobbing for apples, voting on the best costume and carving jack-o’-lanterns, but never before has the party gotten off to such a great start. In years past, friends and acquaintances were forever driving past our driveway without realizing it. They would spend several minutes turning around and circling back to the house.

This year, I started looking for outdoor LED lights in early October. We found a handsome faux rock with an easily legible front-panel display. This new addition has made it effortlessly simple for visitors to spot our address glowing bright from hundreds of yards off. Since it takes rechargeable batteries, I know we’ll be relying on it to light the way for years to come.

For many families, decorating for Christmas is one of the best bonding experiences to come around all year. Dressing the evergreen tree with elaborate ornaments – both store bought and homemade – is an activity that brings back happy memories from another place and time. In some neighborhoods, the competitive spirit of the season manifests itself through exterior decorations.

Electrical bills rise exponentially as rival households try to outdo each other by offering onlookers the most spectacular display of lights. Thanks to the advent of solar powered Christmas light, it’s no longer necessary to use dangerous extension cords or to place lights in close proximity to electrical outlets. Solar power cuts electrical costs and provides decorators with even more creative freedom than they thought possible.

When the domestic economy began to tank last year, my husband and I were right in the middle of a pricy landscaping project. We wanted to add some depth and dimension to the yard, and I used my garden design skills to supply a few ideas for the landscaping company. We barely managed to finish the project before fall temperatures plummeted so much as to make work outside unpleasant.

Now that the economy is back on track, we’re looking for ways to reward ourselves for demonstrating patience and saving our hard-earned money. My husband struck on a plan that should make our manicured lawn and intricate landscaping work the talk of the town. We set up a few solar spot lights around the property, each of them trained on a particular element of the garden or lawn.

All summer long, gardeners put their green thumbs to use by cultivating gorgeous beds of blooms. During the day, typical garden décor – bird baths, arbors, trellises and the like – are effective at achieving an organized design. Gardeners take great pride in their backyard wonderland, and they are always eager to show the results off to friends, family and even passersby.

It’s unfortunate, then, that so many gardens go unappreciated at night. For a few days a month, the moon is full enough to illuminate those bountiful blossoms, but what about the rest of the time? Solar powered spot lights are the sensible solution. They allow gardeners to get the most enjoyment and fulfillment from their hard work now that the last days of summer are upon us.

Once every summer, I like to treat the family to a rustic retreat in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. My son and I are military history buffs, so it just makes sense that we love to revisit Lookout Mountain, the site of a prominent Civil War battle. We rent a cabin in the hills for a week without electricity or running water. The experience brings us all a bit closer together as a family.

Being the practical one in our family, my wife never forgets to bring a solar pathway light or two. These invaluable sources of luminescence light the way from the cabin to the latrine, which is located dozens of yards away. In our opinion, using an outhouse is just one of those small sacrifices that come along with an otherwise enjoyable trip. Without the solar lights, I’d probably be lost somewhere in the Appalachian woods right now.

While the December holidays are still more than a few months away, a lot of people are starting to save money now. While the economy is on the upturn, employment is still rising, and a lot of people are doing their best to cut costs and save for the future. In addition to the costs of gifts, travel, and food around the holidays, there’s the added cost of electricity from running Christmas lights. This year, instead of using electric power to create that beautiful light display, check out solar Christmas lights. These lights absorb power from the sun throughout the day, and then light up at night to provide a beautiful display of twinkling just as bright and radiant as if it were powered by electricity.

It’s a fact that around the holidays a lot of people’s electric bill starts to ramp up, so this year, cut costs with an investment in solar Christmas lights. Save money, and save the environment at the same time; it’s a win win situation!

With the environment and the economic climate being two top concerns amongst factory owners, several factories across the United States are making the switch to solar power. Many factories are setting up solar panels in fields near their factories, or even adorning the entire roof with solar panels to absorb the sun’s energy. The best part of solar power, is, it’s free. In areas of the United States where sun is a guarantee, these solar powered factories can reduce their operating costs by a huge amount with an investment in solar power. Whether it’s solar powered lights, machines, or transportation; solar power saves a lot of money, and helps the environment.

In the future, it’s quite possible that all factories and major industrial locations will be powered in part or in full through solar panels. It’s impossible for business owners to ignore solar power as a means to cut cost. Provided the initial installation isn’t too expensive, the potential cost reduction over time is amazing.

By day, flowers take center stage in most gardens. Their colorful blooms mesmerize onlookers, and they proved other sensory pleasures as well. There’s the perfume of lilacs in spring and the crisp crunch of carrots freshly plucked from the rich earth. But many of these enjoyable garden features are largely wasted at night – just when guests begin to arrive for your cocktail party.

A solar garden statue spruces up any garden after dusk. These statues harness energy from the sun and glow well into the early morning hours. Some solar statuary is designed to provide minor glow-in-the dark accents, while others are meant to draw all the attention. A tree face stump solar light, for instance, acquires a haunting solar-powered gaze after nightfall.

At least twice every summer, I take my family up to our cottage in northern Michigan. The cottage is technically situated on Lake Huron, but it’s set about 200 yards off the water. It’s a longstanding tradition that we build a bonfire out on the beach, but going back and forth to the house used to be tricky. After a while, we lost all our flashlights in the sandy abyss.

As of just a few months ago, I’ve found a better means of lighting our way to the beach: solar path lights. If we happen to be visiting the cottage over Fourth of July weekend, the brilliant fireworks usually provide enough illumination. Failing that, we rely on the comforting glow of our solar-powered guides. These beacons draw their energy during the day from the sun and last until long after we’ve all gone to bed.