Solar powered fountains

Garden fountains are one of the latest home products to feature a solar energy power source.

Using solar energy to supplement a central heating system, or to bring up the ambient temperature of a swimming pool, are among the more mainstream solar energy applications. However, small scale solar powered products are the big innovation in the home and gadget market right now.

Solar power cells for anything from mobile phones to usb devices are the obvious applications, but ornamental garden fountains are another.

A garden fountain requires a fairly small pump and, furthermore, is generally only required in full operation on warm sunny days.

This makes it a perfect solar power device.

How solar fountains work
The fountain, or more appropriately the fountain pump, requires solar matting or some solar cells for the generation of electricity. This solar catchment area need not be too expansive and because of this there are some novel ways of using solar matting for decorative as well as a functional purposes.

A great example of this is to float “purpose shaped” solar matting around the fountain spout giving the impression of a leaf or water Lilly.

These custom fountain kits blend in well and avoid the need to set up a solar collection zone away from the pond or water feature.

For more “power demanding” pumps, or multiple water spouts, a proper solar collector will be included in the fountain kit. This will include a cable to connect the pump to larger areas of solar matting, or fold-up panels that can be laid out, or opened up in a sunny area.

Solar fountains of this type require no mains electricity, so they are easy to install and completely safe.

For more information, you can check out: http://www.watergardeningdirect.com/acatalog/Solar_Fountain_Pumps_153.html.