Here we are, fellow denizens of the great city of Stouffville- we have reached autumn. Mostly known as fall, we have broken out of the heat of summer into the chilly days and often bordering on frosty nights of the fall. Soon, we shall see the leaves start to change colour. For some, this will be a great time! Fall activities have gained a lot of positive traction in the last couple of years, for good reason. A lot of fun can be had going to pumpkin patches, drinking fall based drinks with a loved one and generally looking at the leaves.
For others however, fall isn’t that great of a time. It’s a constant reminder of things to come, and as the leaves fall so does the temperature – promising a future that won’t be so bright. We are, of course, talking about the winter – the coldest time of the year. Gone are the possibly frosty nights and chilly days of fall, replaced instead by the frosty days and frigid nights of the winter. Yes, there are a lot of winter activities as well that one can take part in… But are they really worth doing? They can be expensive, time consuming, etc.
But this is not an article about the winter activities we can or cannot do. This is instead an article about a winter activity everyone can do- yes, we are of course talking about putting up holiday lighting! These lights are sometimes known as Christmas lights, but for the sake of inclusion we are going to call the holiday lighting.
Yes, holiday lighting! It is arguably the best part about the holiday season and we can all physically see why. They’re brilliant, they’re beautiful and anyone who gazes upon them can let their shining glory enter their soul, filling them to the brim with holiday cheer. We have yet to find a person out there who doesn’t like holiday lighting and frankly, we doubt if we ever will.
But there are some important decisions one has to make when they are putting together their holiday lighting- for example, where are they going to put their lights? How many lights are they going to use? And also – how are they going to power these holiday lights?
This is what we’re going to talk about today – all the different types of ways one can power their holiday lighting display, and which one will work the best for which situation. Without further ado, here are the best power sources for holiday lighting displays. Oh wait, one more ado – for those out there who don’t want to make this important decision, let the professionals make it!
Solar Powered Holiday Lighting
Solar power is becoming very popular these days. For good reason too – it tends to be a very environmentally friendly alternative to other sources of power. They can also be much cheaper than the other sources of power as well, as the sun doesn’t cost anything (for now).
So what are the benefits of solar powered outdoor holiday lighting? Well, for starters, they tend to be much better for the environment (as previously mentioned). Numerous solar powered outdoor holiday lighting companies claim that their products create a much smaller carbon footprint without taking away from the festive display. Also, they tend to be a lot cheaper – at least in the long run. Sure, these lights may be a bit expensive when one goes out to purchase them, but the amount of money the average homeowner, gardener or landscaper will save on the electric bill alone will be a huge bonus.
How do these solar lights work? Simple – they are hooked up to a panel which collects solar energy, and that panel in turn sends power to one’s outdoor lighting display. That’s where the issue may come in however – there isn’t a lot of sun during the winter, so these lights may not get a lot of power.
We think solar powered holiday lighting is an alright option, just don’t expect to have the most bright holiday lighting display in the neighbourhood.
Plug-In Holiday Lighting
Ah yes, ol’ reliable! These are the holiday lights that every landscaper, homeowner or gardener is most likely used too, and for good reason. All they have to do is set up their outdoor holiday lighting display, run some extension cords to their outlets and presto! Let there be light!
There are some downsides, of course, to this simple setup however. Keep in mind that power bills if this method is used are going to go through the roof. It’s the same every year – people run a bunch of holiday lights all over their house and their minds are blown when the utilities bill comes in the mail. These lights can be setup on a timer, so that is a plus, but it’s still a lot of extra power one may be using.
Despite what the utilities bill might say, we like to think using these lights are the best method. They are reliable, they are bright, and they make one’s outdoor holiday lighting display stand out amongst the others in the neighbourhood!
Battery Powered Lights
This is sort of the middle ground between the Plug Ins and the solar powered lights. They run on (yes, that’s right) batteries, so they won’t run up a power bill like plug in holiday lighting. However, while they may not increase the carbon footprint in that respect, batteries are certainly not good for the environment, and a lot of those will need to be used in order to have a decent outdoor holiday lighting display!
Like we said, these are the middle ground between the two worlds. Not the greatest, but certainly not the worst either. The worst would be not having any outdoor holiday lighting at all!
At the end of the day, it’s really up to the homeowner, landscaper or gardener. They can choose whichever lights they want to adorn their properties this holiday season. But why make the choice? Leave it up to the professionals – they do this kind of thing for a living.
