Why Choose Solar Lighting Direct?

People often ask us...
"What makes Solar Lighting Direct products special?"
"How are they different from other solar lighting products?"

The simple answer is, "they're better!"

Don't just take our word for it though; here is a list of techniques and technologies employed uniquely in our products that make them better, stronger, brighter and longer-lasting than any other solar lighting we know of.


SMD Technology

SMD - or "Surface-Mount Device" technology - has been in common use for regular electronic components since the early 1980s, yet strangely very few lighting companies have dared mount LEDs directly to a circuit board. We've realised the benefits of doing so, with great effect;

Improved Mechanical Strength
By mounting the LED chips directly to the circuit board, they're physically supported by the strength of the board - meaning that as they heat up and cool down, they're not going to warp and crack. As a direct result, our products will comfortably give a life span of 20,000 to 100,000 hours - an order of magnitude beyond our competitors' products which use discrete LEDs.

Improved Thermal Transfer
Heat generated by the LED chips is transferred to the much larger, more robust circuit board, rather than having to be dealt with by the LED itself. This means the LEDs can be run brighter and for longer periods without thermal stress destroying them in the process.

Improved Dispersion Angle
Traditional LEDs send most of their light straight ahead; owing to the construction of normal LED housings, the dispersion angles are generally in the region of 45 to 60 degrees. Surface-mounted LEDs aren't constrained by these traditional housings, so can achieve a dispersion angle of up to 160 degrees. The result is more even lighting in all directions, without the "spottiness" most people associate with LED lighting.

Integrated Photo-Electric Cell

All of the lights we sell include a built-in photo-electric cell which senses the ambient light and automatically switches the light on at dusk and off at dawn. This means your lights will always be on when you need them, without you having to manually switch them on and off.

Intelligent circuitry can tell the difference between the setting of the Sun and dark clouds forming overhead, so unlike some other products, our lights won't be switching on and off randomly during the day just because a cloud, 'plane or bird passed overhead.


Two-Stage Motion Activation

All of our lights equipped with motion sensors feature a special two-stage circuit, which gives indicative illumination even when you're not in the range of the motion sensor. By not having all LEDs switched on all the time, battery life is extended by many hours without the dangers of having no light at all.

Stage 1
A single high-brightness LED is triggered by the photo-electric cell at dusk, and remains on for the duration of the night. This provides a pleasant ambience as well as providing enough light for you to know where you're heading.

Stage 2
When the motion sensor detects movement, all remaining LEDs are activated, giving a bright, wide-area light for you to see precisely what you're doing. Once triggered, an electronic timer keeps the full compliment of LEDs on for a set duration, even when you've walked out of the motion sensor's range - so you won't be surprised by a sudden loss of light when you might need it most. Once the timer runs out, the light returns to its Stage 1 "stand-by" mode, until the motion sensor is triggered again and the process is repeated.

Motion Sensor Over-Ride

All of our lights equipped with motion sensors feature a manual over-ride switch, which allows you to manually switch them on when you need a constant supply of light - perfect for a back yard party when you don't want individual lights switching on and off as people move around.

In this manual mode of operation, the LEDs are run at 80% of full brightness in order to extend battery life whilst giving near-full illumination of the area around them.


Manual Brightness Selection

All of our lights without motion sensors feature a "high/low" brightness switch, allowing you to tailor the light output to suit your individual needs. In situations where smaller areas need to be illuminated or where you have multiple lights near each other, it makes sense to set the switch to "low" to improve battery life whilst ensuring you have ample lighting.


NiMH Batteries

One area where many manufacturers skimp to save a few dollars is batteries. All Solar Lighting Direct lights use Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries, to give you the quickest charge times and longest lighting periods of any solar lights on the market.

Older Nickel-Cadmium (NiCd) technology batteries are far cheaper to produce, but are plagued by the dreaded "memory effect" (if they're not completely depleted, they can't completely charge), take more than twice the time to fully charge, and have a markedly lower energy capacity.


UV-Stabilised Components

Here in Australia, we're both blessed and cursed by our beloved Sun. We love the great outdoors and having fun in the Sun, but our electronic devices left outside for extended periods suffer because the constant exposure to ultra-violet (UV) light breaks down most plastics and rubber compounds.

All non-metal components of our lights are manufactured using special UV-stabilised materials, meaning they will live happily in the outdoors, year in, year out, without fading, cracking or crumbling because of Sun exposure. This is particularly important for the transparent protective layers on the solar cells themselves, which in lesser products can go "hazy" and limit the amount of light reaching the cells.


Spare Parts Always On Hand

We keep a full range of replacement batteries, LEDs and components for all of our products at our Sydney warehouse. If over the course of time any item wears out, our ready stocks ensure quick turn-around for replacements and repairs.