Do Solar Lights Work Under A Tree?

do solar lights work under a tree

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Do you came here looking for the answer for do solar lights work under a tree? than this is the right post for you.

When I was researching for solar lights for my outdoor garden the first question that came to my mind was, can they be able to work under shade of trees?

I came across this question because I live in a rural landscape and I have trees covering my house.

To test this I bought this pack of outdoor solar lights to check do they really work under a tree.

After testing for 2 days in two different scenarios, here are my observations that I have recorded.

ConditionSunlight received during the day timeDuration of working
1. Not under direct shade of tree8 hoursStayed ON whole night
2. Under direct shade of tree2-3 hoursStayed ON for 4 hours.

1. When lights were placed in a area where tree shade was less

When I placed the solar lights in the area where trees were less and the sunlight was directly falling on the solar plate throughout the day I found out that the battery of garden solar lights charged well and I was able to use them in the night for 8-10 hours.

solar light with less trees around

2. When shade of tree was directly falling on the solar panels of light

In the next case I placed them where the tree canopy was near and the area was covered with the trees all around. Shade was covering the panels to be precise.

In this case the power generation of solar lights was not much and they lasted for 4-5 hours only.

solar light surrounded by trees and shade

From this test I came to the conclusion that Yes, solar lights do work under a tree. But there working will depend upon the amount of sunlight they will receive during the day.

final thoughts

Through this little experiment I found out that solar lights can work under trees and shade, provided ample sunlight is received by them.

If you have a place which is covered by trees and you want your solar lights be placed there than you should try to install them at such points where shade is minimal. In this way you will be able to get best out of your solar light(s).

Also, if you want to know how to light trees without power then you can check my post on how to light trees without electricity.

Read more about tree solar lights on this page: solar lights for trees