Brighten your balcony with solar-powered lights

by Robert Yang | Nov. 17, 2020

I had that do-it-yourself (DIY) itch again. I love DIY projects — they’re affordable, and you can plan an entire day around projects. You can also bond with other people in your household who want to get involved, and create something that can improve your home. I sit next to the balcony all day and night (since my desk is located next to it), and I often look at it or venture outside to the balcony. I do it to give my eyes a break after staring at the screen for so long. Since I’ve been working from home during the pandemic, I’m always thinking of ways to upgrade my balcony. I thought solar lights would be a great way to brighten the atmosphere when I want to get some fresh air at night.

At first, I experienced an issue with this project. I’m not a fan of stringing lights on a balcony because it could become unsecured and fall off onto somebody else’s property, or worse — the street. Another type of solar light I could use are pathway lights. Those are individual lights that can be jabbed into the dirt to light up a pathway. This seemed like the safer option for me because the light could be secured by planting it into a base. However, I didn’t want to pour dirt all over my balcony. So I got creative with these path lights to avoid jabbing them into a dirt base. Here’s how to do it:

1. Twist off the base component of the solar light. You should only have the bulb with the solar panel attached.
2. Follow the instructions that come with your light to activate it.
3. Get a vase, mason jar or cylindrical container (you choose the size). Make sure the diameter of the container does not exceed the diameter of your light.
4. Fill the interior of your container with decorative rocks. Choose white or transparent rocks if you want your light to glow brighter at night. Only fill half the container.
5. Place the solar light on top of the container.
6. Find a location on the balcony that you want lit up at night. Keep in mind, you should place your solar light in a location where it has access to direct sunlight so it can charge properly. Otherwise, you’ll have to shift the locations between day and night to get optimal use.

The bonus of having these on your balcony is that it won’t reflect on your monthly energy usage because they’re powered by solar energy. They’re also automated so whenever it gets dark, the lights will activate on their own! You won’t have to flip any switches.

I recommend this project for anyone with a balcony. It improves the atmosphere and no tools are required! This is also a fun project to do with your keiki — it can be a lesson on renewable energy and sustainability.

In times like these, it’s important for us to be able to do things for ourselves and learn as much as we can with the additional time we have at home. I just wish I had a yard so I could do more outdoor projects!

Robert Yang is a digital communications and social media specialist at Hawaiian Electric Company.