Homeowners warm to new solar-powered lights
Rising demand driven by climate change, energy costs, better aesthetics
Sunil Lala is trying to save the world, one walkway light at a time.
The information technology consultant at Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Lincoln Laboratory recently purchased 12 solar-powered lights for his front lawn in Shrewsbury. "Unassuming" might be the best way to describe his contribution to stopping climate change, but from his point of view, each tiny lamp is a beacon of hope.
"We're not close to being perfect," he said. "But we're trying to do as much as we can. I am very concerned about global warming."
Lala's wife, Sharmila, testified to his dedication.
"My husband is really into energy saving," she said, cradling their year-old daughter. "We've been changing all the light bulbs in the home to more energy-efficient ones."
The Lala family is not alone.
Many new solar-powered devices, from landscape lights to ventilation fans and garden fountains, are being offered at local retail outlets such as the
Drive down some suburban streets and you can see the faint blue or orange light of the devices lining many a walkway.
Demand has risen for numerous reasons, say storeowners and consumers. Some people buy solar-powered items because they want to conserve power and help the planet. Others want to take one small step toward energy independence. Still others say the products are more convenient, save money, or simply look good.
"The customer is most definitely asking for more and more of these items," said Bryan Williams, general manager of the Home Depot in Marlborough. "It used to just be the basic landscape lighting and that was it. Now we have ones that will clamp onto your deck, that you can put on the top of a post."
Sales of Illinois-based Intermatic's outdoor solar lights have grown by as much as 10 percent each year for the past five years, said Michael Benz, the company's marketing manager.
Intermatic began selling solar-powered lights 12 years ago and expects to sell as many as 30 million this year at $4 to $30 apiece, Benz said. He expects national retail sales of solar landscape lights made by all manufacturers, including Brinkmann and Westinghouse, to total $500 million this year.
The lamps aren't perfect. While they do save electricity, it takes energy to make them, so they can't be classified as "zero emissions" products, Benz noted.
But many environmental activists say solar-powered lights are a small but significant way for people to downsize their "carbon footprint," a term referring to the amount of fossil fuels they consume.
"The ideal situation for reducing global warming, pollution, and saving energy and saving energy costs is for the entire home to be powered by solar or other clean, renewable energies," said Glen Brand, director of the Sierra Club's national Cool Cities Campaign, an initiative to support almost 600 mayors who have pledged to reduce pollution. "Having said that, every bit helps."
Berlin resident Tom Green, who owns Green's Hardware in Wellesley, started selling the lights this past winter after he saw them at a trade show. "I thought they would be a nice change," he said. "They make sense. Customers say they want to chip in, they hear so much about the environment."
The ecological benefits of solar-powered devices are only one aspect of their popularity.
Terry Rousseau of Hopkinton said she is too busy with her three children to think much about the global implications of climate change. She says she likes that the lights turn on by themselves after sunset to light up her front door. "They work on through the night," she said. "I'm thinking about security for the stairwell."
"I did not want to do the wiring," said Rajendraprasad Sivadasan, an engineer who lives in Shrewsbury. He bought 10-inch-high lamps a few years ago because he could take them out of the box and simply stick them in the ground. He didn't need to connect them to the house. At night they turn on by themselves. "If it gets proper sunlight, it works well," he said.
Another Shrewsbury resident, Al Nawab, said he was thinking about his household budget when he bought his solar patio lights. "Every time I see my energy bill or fill up with gas, the economic impact makes me think about sustainable energy," he said.
The Home Depot's Williams believes the lights are becoming more popular because the industry discovered that consumers would buy eco-friendly products if they were stylish and attractive.
"I think a lot of it has to do with fashion," he said. "Five years ago they were ugly. Now they come in all fashions and colors."
David Belinkskas of Shrewsbury, a retiree who worked for the electricity and natural gas company National Grid, agreed. He bought a few copper-colored lamps recently. Neither global warming nor his utility bill played a role in his purchase.
"It's the aesthetic," he said. "They go with the new shrubs we bought."
