Do solar lights only last a year?

do solar lights only last a year

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If you are thinking about bringing solar lights to home and you are wondering with the question, do solar lights only last a year? then this post is for you.

In this post, I have braked down this important question and tried to answer it.

Key Takeaway: No, the solar lights do not last in a year. Their average lifespan is 2-5 years.

Average lifespan of a solar light

The life of a solar light is dependent on various factors. These are such factors which directly and indirectly impacts the age of a solar light. Mostly three factors are very important ones. These 3 factors are:

  1. Battery of the solar light
  2. Weather conditions in the area
  3. Physical damage to the product

These 3 factors can decrease or increase the life of solar powered lights. Now let’s talk about them in detail.

1. Battery of solar light

The first factor which has a direct influence on the age of solar light is their battery. Solar lights use AA-rechargeable batteries to store electrical charge and supply current.

Three kind of AA batteries are used in solar lights. These are nickel-cadmium(NiCd), nickel-metal hydride(NiMH) and lithium-ion(Li-ion).

Also, the average life of a battery also depends upon three factors. These factors are run time, shelf life ,and cycle life of the battery.

Related:- Why Are Only Half Of My Solar Lights Working?

Run time is how long the battery will run after a full charge. Shelf life is the time period for which a battery can remain in storage without losing its charge capacity and lastly cycle life is the number of charge and discharge cycle a battery can go before losing its performance.

Below in the table you can read the run time, shelf life, and cycle life of various batteries.

Battery TypeRun Time(in hours)Shelf Life(in years)Cycle Life
NiCd2052000
NiMh105Up to 1000
Li-ion810Up to 1000

Now depending upon the battery type, the solar light will perform and accordingly age.

Related: Can You Use Duracell Rechargeable Batteries In Solar Lights?

2. Weather conditions

Second important factor which effect the age of solar lights is the weather conditions in your area.

Solar lights are portable devices which are mostly used in outdoor conditions. They face harsh weather conditions like hot summers and chilling cold winters. This produces a negative effect on their working.

Solar lights work best in the temperature range of -20o Celsius to +45 degree Celsius. When the temperature goes below and above this range it effects the solar lights health.

3. Physical damage

Physical damages to solar powered lights is also a factor which impact the lifespan of the installed solar lights.

Physical damages like short circuit in the circuit board, over heating, panel malfunction, etc. can reduce the age of solar lights.

Related:- Do solar powered light bulbs burn out?

Conclusion

With solar lights gaining popularity it is also important to know about the lifespan of a solar light. Age of a solar light is dependent on factors like battery, weather, and physical damages.

In the above paragraphs, we saw that average life of solar lights is over a year. If all the limiting factors are in ideal conditions then you can expect your solar lights to work for more than 4-5 years.

For more general information on solar lights you can go to my article: solar powered lights.

references

  1. https://blog.epectec.com/what-is-the-shelf-life-of-rechargeable-nimh-batteries