If you’ve read enough about solar lighting, you’ll know one of the major selling points of it over traditional outdoor garden lights is that you can just stick them in the ground and forget about them. The sun will turn them on and off and you won’t have to worry about your lights any electric bills for years. While this may be true in theory, in practice placing your solar lights is a little more tricky for a few reasons.
First, when you are placing your lights you have to take a look at the exact location you are putting them in and determine if it will get enough direct sunlight during the day. Even the best solar powered garden lights on the market today require a few hours of direct sunlight to properly charge up so they stay lit the whole night. In shady locations, the lights can be dimmer, stay on for shorter times, and even have their total lifespan reduced. 
To prevent this, try to look at where you are installing your lights at several points during the day. Are there any shadows that get cast later in the day or earlier in the day in otherwise bright areas? Do you think this will hamper the performance of your lights?
Next, just like with conventional garden lights you much make sure that there is good drainage around the lights so that they don’t suffer damage from corrosion and water leakage. Outdoor lights are specifically built to resist the elements, but they are only water resistant, not water proof. If you install your lights in areas that constantly get puddles, chances are eventually they will corrode and suffer significant damage.
Solar lights are a great way to add to your yard and they are very easy to install. However, you can’t just place them anywhere. Some care and consideration still needs to be taken in the placement of your solar lights if you want to get the most out of them.
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I love solar lights and have been using them for years. My favorite solar shop is Your Solar Link. They also recycle solar lights which is nice because not so many companies care about what happens to those after they are used. I also wish they’d make more solar lights with ember color. I know some solar string lights come with that color but not pathway solar lights. Do you know why? Just wanted to share my thoughts. Thanks for your article!