Garden innovations - solar powered pumps and lights

We're all being told to save energy, and most of us, looking at our electricity bills, would be only too keen to cut back on the costs. One way to do this, and to help the environment at the same time, is to look at how you can use solar power to help in the garden. Two simple methods are quite straightforward:

Solar-powered pump kits are ideal for smaller ponds and water features because they use solar energy (obviously) so incurring no additional cost to run and they operate when the pond most needs it, because on hot sunny days you want to increase the pond water circulation and that's exactly when the pump will be running fastest. If you don't want, or have a pump, you can often use a kit to create a solar-powered water fountain to improve pond water circulation. It's worth remembering that if you are actually relying on the pump to aerate the pond, it won't work in dull weather, so you need a back-up system. This matters if you have less hardy fish or your pond is overstocked. Alternatively, you can just have fun by setting up water features in areas without electrical outlets so that you can, for example, add water movement to birdbaths or to run spitters (small lawn sprinklers) for your children or grandchildren to run through on sunny days.

A unique solar irrigation system has recently been launched, meaning plants can be watered using rainwater delivered by a solar pump. The British designed system links up to water butts and barrels and uses a tiny solar panel the size of a computer keyboard to pump the water where it is needed. It can be used in gardens or allotments and uses water so sparingly that a small water butt or tank will irrigate a large garden area.

The other alternative is to use solar panels to light or heat your greenhouse at night - this, again, is best used with a back up system, because you don't want the greenhouse cooling down when the weather is grey and overcast, but it can work very well as a supplement to the mains supply.

Garden innovation solar panel photograph by Elsie Esq., used under a creative commons attribution licence.