Solar energy is all around us, but most people don?t notice it. For instance, the power source for many emergency phones on freeways is powered by it. This brings us the subject of solar post lights. Solar Power for Post Lighting Solar energy started to come into popularity in the 1970s, when technology advances combined with massive oil price increases to make solar a popular alternative energy source. Back then, the world was just starting to become more aware about the risks of using so many non-renewable resources, and people wanted to decrease their dependence on fossil fuels. Now, solar power is being used by many different people all across the world, both in big and small ways. One of the small, but still important ways it is being used is in solar post lights. Often, people want to light their driveways or backyards. Aside from running expensive extension cords to lamps, using battery after battery, or running lines in underground pipes, there really weren?t many choices to power their lamps. Now, solar post lights are regularly used by those who want the convenience of not having to change batteries, and those who want to save money on their electric bill. Solar post lights work by using very small solar panels, which are attached to an energy collector. These solar panels stay out in the sun all day, attached to your post, and they soak up all of the sun?s solar energy. The energy collector in many of the solar post lights is a NiCad rechargeable battery, most of which can go up to 1000 charges! That is about three years. The light that is powered by the battery is an LED light, which takes very little power but emits a bright light. LEDs can last up to 25 years, making solar post lights a very economical investment. These lights will emit their soft glow for many hours during the night, depending on the amount of solar energy they received during the day. Other advantages to solar lights are that there are no wires needed, so installation is very easy. Also, you can often buy the lights individually, so there is no need to buy a large package of the lights if you only need a few to illuminate your way. Each light runs independent of the others, so if one light malfunctions, the rest will still be there and glowing. Whether you choose to buy a few or a lot of the solar post lights, they are still the most economical and ecology minded choice for your driveway and fence lighting needs. With a long lifespan and easy installation, these lamps are the perfect thing to shine through the dark of your front yard.