How to Reuse Solar Lights

String lights also come solar powered and are useful for lining low furniture so no one trips over it. Produce a space in which you can see the faces of your guests or even read a book with strategically placed accent lights.ecycling broken or unneeded solar lights provides the safest and easiest method of reuse and could earn you a discount or coupon on a future purchase. The recycling company separates the components and disposes of the potentially hazardous materials used in construction of the solar light's interior electronics. It re-purposes the parts it can.
Contact the manufacturer of your solar lights. Many manufacturers provide a recycling or take-back program. If the company provides a program, obtain the address where the lights can be sent.Contact a non-profit such as Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition for a list of third-party recyclers and their addresses, if the manufacturer does not provide a recycling program. Check the local phone book. Some solar stores provide a recycling program.Package the lights according to the recyclers' directions.Ship the lights or, in the case of a local company, drop them off.Test the LED. Connect the LED's anode (positive wire) to a variable voltage power supply's positive output (set to 2 to 3 volts) through a 330 ohm resistor using small alligator clip jumper cables. Then connect the cathode (negative) to the power supply's ground terminal (negative). Power on the power supply and watch for lighting of the LED. If the LED lights up then it works. If it doesn't light up, check the connections or try a slightly higher voltage. If it still doesn't light, then it is probably bad. Throw it away now to avoid it winding up in the component junk box where it might be used later, only to find it still doesn't work.
Charging solar lights takes patience on the part of the homeowner. According to the Gardener's Supply Company, "solar lights have a solar panel that converts sunlight into electrical current. The electrical current charges the re-chargeable batteries that operate the solar light." Solar lights are far more convenient than low voltage lighting, there are no wires to run and installation is a breeze. After you charge solar lights, you can place them in any location and move them if necessary.