SOLAR EXTERNAL LIGHTING INSTEAD OF WIRED?

[Jeffrey Sooey]

I own a 4 unit apartment building. My wired external lighting has been on a timer and turned on at night automatically for years. The property is downtown so the tenants value the lights for security purposes. The lights now don't work, so I'm trying to decide whether to...

1. contract an electrician to fix the 'old solution' or to

2. invest in some solar lights that are independent of my properties wiring and takes no power.

Any opinions or solutions I should consider?

All I want for now is security lights (whether or not they are timed or motion-sensor driven).

Here's my understanding of the pros and cons of either:

WIRED LIGHTS:

• lasts a long time (solid state)
• reliable
• expensive (due to electric bill and electrician costs)
• consistent

SOLAR LIGHTS:

• Cheap (low cost to purchase and free electricity + no electrician needed)
• batteries may not last long?
• potentially less reliable (due to low sun days?)

Thoughts?