Do I need to charge solar christmas lights with direct sunlight?

Solar lights do not need direct sunlight to charge. However, increased exposure to light automatically means that you will produce more electricity. Direct sunlight is the most effective way to produce electricity using solar panels. But it is wrong to say that the solar panels would not operate during other periods of daylight. Solar lights can get charged from artificial light, incandescent bulbs, or LED lamps. The only difference is that they work at a reduced capacity.

On cloudy days, solar panels are about 60% less efficient than on clear days. It doesn't mean that your solar panel has broken down. A solar panel's ability to generate electricity is limited solely by the amount of light it absorbs from the sun. When there is less sunlight, it is possible to generate less electricity.

In what ways do solar lights produce and store power?

We must first understand how solar lights function to comprehend this section.

Photovoltaic is the most crucial component of our solar energy system. This device converts light energy to electrical energy through a chemical process known as the photovoltaic effect. Semiconductors contribute to the initiation of this process. Under certain conditions, a semiconductor becomes an excellent conductor of electricity.

Silicon is commonly used as a semiconductor in solar cells. Two silicon pieces are doped with opposite positive and negative charges. These differently charged silicon layers react with light energy, releasing electrically charged particles known as electrons.

These electrons generate a supply of electricity, which we store in a rechargeable battery through a different chemical reaction.

Another important fact about solar Christmas lights is that they only generate electricity when they contact light energy of the appropriate wavelength range. When the sun isn't shining, we can charge solar batteries with artificial light. Solar Christmas lights use a photocell to automatically turn on at night and turn off at dawn to save energy.

How Long will it take to charge Solar Christmas lights? 

It is not easy to figure out the exact time taken by a Solar light to fully charge because there are several factors involved in it:

• For how long does the solar light operate after being charged?
• How powerful are the alternative energy sources?
• Does the light is powerful? And how much energy is consumed by solar light?
• Whether sunlight is fully present or not?

Here is a rough estimate of the answer from the other side:

A solar light approximately takes 4 to 10 hours to get fully charged through direct sunlight. Outdoor solar street Christmas lights would take 6 to 8 hours to get charged. Now they can work properly for 5 to 7 days without any recharging. If we want to charge our solar Christmas light with artificial lighting, it will undoubtedly take 8 to 12 hours. So, we can say that indirect light will take a longer period to recharge than direct sunlight source.

How can I run my solar Christmas lights without the sun?

Even if the sun is not shining, you can still charge your batteries. However, the process will be less efficient as a result. Many people believe solar lights only work in sunny areas because solar lights depend upon the sun to generate power. We can install these solar Christmas lighting systems also in a place where the sun does not shine. Even in the winter, solar lights can work properly. When the sun doesn't shine for several days, some may require indirect sunlight to charge.

It is important to remember that this only applies to the smaller solar Christmas lighting units that are commonly used for pathways, lawns, and patios, among other things. Conversely, The AC Hybrid or Wind Solar Lighting Solution uses power from the grid or wind power when there is no sunlight.

Without sunlight, can I charge Solar Christmas Indoor Lights?

Yes, it is possible to charge the small solar lights indoors with relative ease. Placement of a solar light near a window or the use of regular light bulbs will accomplish this. We can place the solar cell directly beneath the light source for the best results in this situation. On the other hand, it is also true that solar lights charge more slowly under artificial lighting than they do in direct sunlight. However, we still anticipate that a solar panel will be fully charged after 12 hours of charging in bright house light.

In addition to the sources mentioned earlier, there are additional charging options available because some solar lights are specifically designed for use in areas with insufficient sunlight. These lights have special USB charger features to charge from electronic devices. So, using Laptops or power banks, we can charge these lights. Furthermore, LED lights can charge Solar lights because it has a larger range of spectrum. This means that solar lights can benefit greatly from this resource. Some solar Christmas lights have power-saving modes that can be activated when there is insufficient sunlight to illuminate the area. These lights use little energy, and hence there is no need to recharge frequently.

To charge solar cells, what types of light can we use?

We classify light by wavelength because light has many different wavelengths. Other wavelengths of light include ultraviolet, infrared, x-rays, and microwaves.

Light wavelengths that can power solar cells are 400-600 nanometers (nm). These wavelengths are visible light.

If a light source produces visible light, we can use them to charge our solar lights. We cannot charge solar cells with radio waves, microwaves, infrared, or ultraviolet rays.

Thus we can use home lights to give power to the solar cells.

What if there is no sunlight?

Now we'll talk about some of the methods for charging solar lights when the sun is not shining directly on them.

How can we charge our batteries with indirect sunlight?

A common misconception is that we can charge solar Christmas lights by exposing them directly to the sun. Our solar cell can generate electricity even in the dim sunlight due to cloudy weather. It is because diffuse light can create almost as much solar energy as direct sunlight. We should consider it first because it is an effective method of charging our solar Christmas lights before looking for other options.

How do I charge my solar Christmas lights in the winter?

We will require alternative energy sources to charge the solar lights during the dark winter months when the daylight hours are shorter.

Here are some tips for keeping solar lights working in the snowy winter:

Shovel the snow and dust from the solar panel's surface to keep it clean:

During the winter months, snow accumulates on the solar panels' surface, making it difficult to receive direct solar energy. Therefore, if we want it to work efficiently during the winter, we should remove the dust and snow from the surface of solar panels.

Cleaning the solar panel's surface requires great care and attention to detail. To achieve good results, you should:

• Use a soft microfiber cloth soaked in clean water to clean it.
• As much as possible, avoid using detergents when cleaning because they can leave smudges behind.

Adjust the angle of the sun's rays to get more light into your solar panel:

During the short winter days, please make certain that the surface of the solar panel is oriented in a way that it receives direct sunlight.

• We should charge solar panels for 8-10 hours in the sun. 
• Place them away from shadows and tall trees.

By using mirrors, you can redirect the sun's rays.

It is already known that diffuse sunlight reflects from clouds and other surfaces onto our solar cells. The mirror reflection technique is very useful in artificially increasing the amount of diffuse sunlight. If solar panels are placed underneath a shadow, mirrors get the most out of the sun's rays during winter. In this method, the repositioning of the mirrors is necessary whole day. But still, it is much better because it doesn't need artificial lights to charge solar lights.

While using this method, we should keep in mind that:

The mirrors which are going to be used must be twice in size as the solar panels. To ensure that they get the amount of sunlight they need. The mirrors should stand in a sliding position to reflect more lights in Solar panels.

Conclusion

Consequently, we can conclude that solar lights are charged even when there is no sunlight present. Although charging solar Christmas lights in direct sunlight is the most efficient method, there are other options. But we can charge them even when there is no direct sunlight by other sources, including LED lights and incandescent light bulbs. Moreover, the more sunlight a solar panel receives during the day, the longer it will take to generate electricity at night. ​Solar lights take 6–7 hours to charge fully, but they can be used for 8–9 hours once charged.

Even in cloudy weather, our solar cells can produce electricity. In diffuse light, nearly as much energy is generated as direct sunlight. We should first consider this method for charging our solar Christmas lights before moving on to other options.

References

How to charge solar lights without sun >> indoor solar charging guide. (2020, December 21). Axion Power. https://www.axionpower.com/knowledge/charge-solar-without-sun/

How to charge solar lights without sun? (2021, May 6). Liter of Light USA. https://www.literoflightusa.org/how-to-charge-solar-lights-without-sun/

One moment, please... (n.d.). One moment, please... https://thebestoutdoorsolarlights.com/do-solar-lights-need-direct-sunlight/

Smart tips on how to charge solar lights without sun? (2020, February 3). That's Cool Wire. https://thatscoolwire.com/smart-tips-on-how-to-charge-solar-lights-without-sun/