Solar Water Features

How Does A Solar Cell Work?

A solar cell, otherwise known as a photovoltaic cell, or PV cell works by converting some of the energy from the sun into a clean electricity that can be used in our homes. A PV cell is made up of 2 slices of silicon placed under a thin sheet of glass. One slice is positively charged, and the other is negatively charged.

When the sun shines, the protons from the sun beat down onto the PV cell they knock the neutrons off the silicon. The free neutrons are negatively charged and are attracted to the other sheet of silicon but are trapped in the magnetic field caused by the oppositely charge silicon sheets. There are tiny wires on the silicon that catch these neutrons and when they are connected in a circuit; an electric current is made.

This process creates what’s known as Direct current, but in order for the electricity to be useable in our homes, it needs to be AC current. An inverter is used to change the DC to the AC. There is some degree of power lost in this process as there is only about a 95% efficiency in the inverter. This figure is greater than with previous inverters, so could well improve with future technology.

The construction of the PV cells means that there is virtually no maintenance needed apart from an annual clean and their lifespan is somewhere in the region of 40 years.

Solar powered water features are an ideal way to make use of this renewable energy, providing the gentle trickle of water and relaxation, but with no impact on our environment; the thing we work so hard to keep nice within the boundaries of our own properties.

Solar Water Features For The Garden

There can’t be many outdoor spaces that don’t have room for a garden water feature if you’re thoughtful about where to put it. It’s going to be a permanent thing, or at least a very long term project, so you want to get it right first time.

Considerations For Garden Water Features

Things you will need to consider before finalising the design are:

·What impact do you want the water feature to have? Is it to be an accent or a focal point?
·Finished size and height.
·Pond or no pond
·Safety issues-will it need screening and fencing from children or the infirm.

Accent or Focal Point?

As with anything of substance that goes in the garden, it needs to have a function; this still applies for your garden water feature. Do you want it to be a subtle little pebble pool that trickles away in the background, almost out of sight unless you go looking for it, so creating that wonderful relaxing atmosphere to welcome you out to the garden after a hard day at work?

Perhaps you had something more grand in mind; a huge fountain, spouting great jets of water into the sky, surrounded by flood lights and extravagant garden pots to re-create that lottery won mansion ambiance. The choice is yours, or course, subject to space and budget, but you do need to decide before you get the spade out!

Size And Height?

Following on from the last point, whether it’s a koi fish pond, a stainless steel and glass cascade, or a series of bamboo pipes, your garden water feature will need to fit the proportions of your garden. If you’re lucky enough to have a large garden, but don’t want a large water feature, locate it in a secluded corner where is looks part of a smaller design idea. This again, is all aimed at keeping a sense of balance and proportion.

There are such a variety of garden water features available these days that it makes it almost harder to decide which way you want to go. Being able to add a height dimension is a great option.

Having the appearance and sound of water falling from quite a height is so lovely in a garden environment, but with modern designs, you don’t have to have all the palaver of installing great big fountains in great big ponds. Providing the pump is strong enough, the water can fall from many feet high, yet the footprint of the water feature itself takes up no more room that your garden table.

Fish Pond Or No Fish Pond?

Whether you have a fish pond or not is of course entirely up to you. These days, it’s just not needed if the end result you’re after is the sound of trickling water. Fish ponds come with a lot of hard work to set up, a lot of maintenance to keep healthy and a whole headache of safety issues if you have young children, pets or infirm visitors.

Having said that, many gardeners wouldn’t be without their garden ponds and the wildlife they attract.

Safety Issues

When you’re planning your garden water feature, you do need to give some thought to safety, whether you’re going to have a fish pond or not. At the very least, you will be having some form of water, and some form of electricity. I’m sure that you’re aware that water and electricity, whilst both vital to make your water feature happen, can be trouble if the two start mixing!

Solar Water Features.

If you want to have a garden water feature, but perhaps the spot where you want to locate it would make the running of electric cables a nightmare, or perhaps you just want a tiny little bubble crock pot, then solar powered water features may be just the thing you need.

Self contained, safe, environmentally friendly and available in an ever increasing range of designs; solar powered water features tick all those boxes as well as being very easy and straight forward to set up.

You may have concerns about their reliability. Admittedly, some types do get feed back about being a bit tricky during spells of bad weather and on particularly cloudy days. I probably wouldn’t notice, as I tend not to sit out there on days like that!

The lack of cables, lack of deep water, speed of installation, portability (subject to design, as you can get in-ground designs) makes solar powered water features a real contender for the new gardener, particularly with a young family perhaps.

The solar cells that are used to power these self contained units get smaller and more advanced with the changes in the technology available. Although on a slightly larger scale than you or I would ever need, back in the 1980’s, in California, enough solar panels were installed to power over 10 million homes!

Solar power is a growing topic and is here to stay.