Solar power is becoming more and more an acceptable and preferred renewable energy source. Developers are finding many uses for the power of the sun, and lighting may in fact be the quickest growing solar industry. With the push toward green living and a consumer's need to save money, solar powered lighting may just be the right option. There are many advantages to the lighting; however, there are also disadvantages to the systems. Every plus and minus should be weighed carefully before a person makes the decision to purchase solar lights.
Increasingly popular "sport pools' have a uniform 4- to 5-foot depth, ideal for basketball and volleyball (as well as swimming). The 20- by 40-foot pool at Judy and Sam Honaker's Albuquerque house is wide enough for three people at a net stretched between removable pipes. William Hays and Tim Walker designed pool and garden.Photo: Giant avocado tree supports swing A rocky border and poolside planting create a lush setting. The swing hangs from the arching branch of an avocado treeThen the set, which sits on a painted plywood platform rimmed with 1-by-2s, slides out on heavy-duty glides.A swing or rope hung from a branch lets you launch yourself into the water. In the garden at far right on the opposite page, a giant avocado tree extends a branch over the pool. Landscape architect Randon Garver of Santa Monica gave the pool a jungly look by running plants right up to a rock-lined edge. (Remember that overhanging trees--particularly ones like avocados, which shed flowers, fruit, and leaves--require extra pool maintenance.)Everywhere one looks it seems there is something saying that we all need to go green in whatever ways possible. With fears of energy sources running dry, a chance to add something green is a satisfying opportunity. By choosing solar powered lights, one has made one more step into a green way of life.With these lighting systems, each light is individually controlled with a photovoltaic panel and rechargeable battery package. The lights do not have to be wired together. This can be very advantageous, for a consumer will not have to bury electric lines or string them from one light to the next. For safety reasons as well as aesthetics, this can be a great advantage.Zero Cost of EnergyThe sun is a continuous energy source that is free to everyone who feels its rays. By using the power of the sun, a consumer no longer requires the use of electricity to run their lights. This means zero cost for the energy. This is especially pleasing for owners of parking lots or anyone who needs certain lighting on twenty four hours a day.Bursting from the water for a slam dunk or volleyball spike, flying through the air and landing with a splash, rocketing down a water slide--all sound like a child's summer fantasies. But they're hot-weather realities in the five swimming pools shown here.Photovoltaic lighting sounds great, but there can be some problems. Since the batteries depend on the sun for recharge, just a few days of storms and overcast skies can mean no lighting at night. Plus, the lights would be absolutely no good in an area that is always in the shade.The simplest pool addition is a basketball backboard at one end of Suzanne and Jerry Flynn's Los Angeles lap pool. The removable backboard and rim are not regulation size: 1/2-inch particle board forms the 2- by 3-foot backboard; the rim came from an indoor foam-ball game. Two U-shaped pipe supports clamp around a threaded 1 1/4-inch galvanized pipe rising 30 inches from a fitting set in the brick. Nick Williams of Calabasas, California, designed the pool.Photo: Poolside hoop provides hours of play She shoots over the outreached hands of these sopping hoopsters. The pipe base with undersize backboard unscrews from pool's brick apronPhoto: Tarzan swing hangs from steel arm Reaching through the branches of a tall juniper, the long metal arm of this rope swing lets teen-age Tarzans atart from a tree limb, arc out over the pool, and land in the deep end. They can sit or stand on the 1/2-inch-thick acrylic ringAlthough the maintenance costs of solar powered lighting are little to none, the initial investment can be quite pricey, since the whole new system must be purchased. It can be a big investment to go from electric power to solar, and it may be too large of an investment for some.With careful thought and a little study, one can weigh the advantages to a new lighting system to the disadvantages. After considering all of the options, it will make the choice of whether or not to choose Solar Lighting much, much easier.Recessed bullet catches mounted on the sides of the television door secure it when it's closed. To watch TV, you swing the door up, using a recessed ring pull. Hinges for the door are mounted to side tracks; with a gentle push, you just slide the door back into the cabinet, right above the television.Photo: Slippery slide leads to pool Slickened by water, this slide blends into a hillside of boulders, Southern sword ferns, and horsetails. The plastered slide was steel troweled to a glass-slick surface. A more sedate path to the pool is down broad wooden steps (above), which lead past rock-faced spaThe power of the sun is an excellent option for lights that are decorative or serve a fairly non-critical role. But, solar power technology is not yet dependable enough to say that all situations can benefit. In situations where dependable lighting is an absolute must, regular electricity is still the best option.Since no tree branches at Susan and Don Norberg's house reached over their pool, Pasadena landscape designer William Woods added the inverted L-shaped arm shown above right. Set 6 feet into concrete, a 6-inch steel pipe rises 18 feet; the 4-inch pipe arm with knee brace extends 16 feet over the pool. A sturdy rope with a reinforcing thimble connects to the arm with an anchor shackle; an acrylic disc makes a perch. This is not for young children, warns Woods.Ease of Installation
With careful thought and a little study, one can weigh the advantages to a new lighting system to the disadvantages. After considering all of the options, it will make the choice of whether or not to choose Solar Lighting much, much easier.
Author: Kriss Bergethon
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