On this page
A path light that stays dark at dusk is usually a part that wore out, not a light that died all at once. Parts of solar lights are a small set: a solar panel, a rechargeable battery, an LED, a light sensor and a housing with a lens. This guide names each part, says what it does, and shows how to tell which one failed, with the battery sizes the listings state.
SolarKitHQ earns a commission when you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Parts of solar lights: the short answer
A solar light is a panel, a battery, an LED, a sensor and a housing, and each part has one job. The panel turns daylight into charge. The battery stores the charge and runs the LED after dark. The sensor turns the light on at dusk and off at dawn. The housing holds the parts and the lens lets the light through. When a light stops working, one of these parts is the cause, and the table below shows where to look first.
| Part | What it does | Check it when |
|---|---|---|
| Solar panel | Turns daylight into charge for the battery | The light stays dark after a sunny day |
| Battery | Stores the charge and runs the LED at night | The light dims or turns off early |
| LED | Makes the light | The light stays dark with a charged battery |
| Light sensor | Turns the light on at dusk | The light stays on in daylight or off at dusk |
| Housing and lens | Hold the parts and let light through | The lens is cracked or cloudy |
The solar panel
The panel sits on top of the light and faces the sun. It turns daylight into charge for the battery, and it works only when the sun lands on it. Shade from a tree, a fence or a wall cuts the charge, and dust, leaves or bird droppings on the surface cut it further. Wipe the panel clean with a damp cloth and move the light where the sun lands for most of the day. See the how to clean solar lights guide for the cleaning steps. A panel that is cracked or cloudy needs replacing, since a damaged surface cannot take in enough light.
The battery
The battery is the part that most often needs replacing, and it is the part the listings here cover in detail. Solar lights run on rechargeable NiMH batteries at 1.2V, in AA or AAA size. The listings state capacities from 600mAh to 2000mAh: the Howardly and JiajaX AA batteries (on Amazon) hold 600mAh, the Tenergy AA (on Amazon) holds 1000mAh, the EBL AA (on Amazon) holds 1300mAh, the Kruta and WENJOOP AA batteries hold 1600mAh, and the Brightown AA (on Amazon) holds 2000mAh. The AAA listings hold 600mAh in the QBLPOWER pack and 1000mAh in the Brightown pack.
Match the size and the voltage before you buy: an AA battery measures 1.97 inches long and 0.55 inches wide in the Howardly and JiajaX listings, while a AAA battery measures 1.69 inches long and 0.39 inches wide in the QBLPOWER listing. The listings state 1.2V, and the WENJOOP listing warns against using these batteries in products designed only for 1.5V alkaline batteries. Replace the batteries in each light as a full matched set, and do not mix used and new batteries or mix capacities and types, as the WENJOOP listing states. Charge the batteries before first use: the listings state they ship precharged at 30% or 50%, and the Brightown listing says to recharge every 3 months.
The listings state how many charge cycles the batteries take: 500 cycles for the Howardly and JiajaX AA batteries, 1000 cycles for the Brightown AA, 1200 cycles for the EBL AA, the Brightown AAA and the Kruta AA, and 2000 cycles for the Tenergy AA. The EBL listing states the batteries hold more than 80% capacity after 3 years. The Tenergy listing states the batteries can power solar lights for up to 5 years, and it lists a 12 months warranty with UL Certified on the battery. The WENJOOP listing states a 2-year warranty, and the Howardly and JiajaX listings state a 1-year warranty.
The LED and the sensor
The LED is the light source, and it sits behind the lens. It draws little power, and it rarely fails before the battery does. The sensor watches the light around it: when dusk falls, it turns the LED on, and when dawn comes, it turns the LED off. A sensor covered by dirt, a leaf or a nearby porch light can keep the light off at night or on in daylight. Wipe the sensor clean and keep other lights away from it. If the light stays dark with a charged battery and a clean panel, the LED or the sensor may have failed, and the light itself needs replacing.
The housing, lens and stake
The housing holds the panel, the battery, the LED and the sensor, and the lens covers the LED. A cracked lens or a cracked housing lets rain in, and water inside the light corrodes the contacts and kills the battery. Check the housing for cracks, check the seal around the lens, and keep the lens clean so the light comes through. The stake or mount holds the light in the ground or on a wall: a bent stake leaves the panel tilted away from the sun, so straighten it or replace it.
How to tell which part failed
Work through the parts in order. Wipe the panel and the sensor clean, and set the light where the sun lands for a day. If it still stays dark, swap in a charged battery of the same size and voltage: if the light works, the old battery had failed. If it still stays dark with a charged battery, check the sensor for dirt and check the lens for cracks. If the panel is cracked or the housing is cracked, the light itself needs replacing. See the how to fix a solar light guide for the full steps, and the solar light replacement parts guide for batteries, panels and seals.
When to replace the battery
Replace the battery when the light dims, turns off early or stays dark after a sunny day with a clean panel. The WENJOOP listing states that dimming or turning off early can mean the battery is the problem, and replacing it may help. Buy the size the light takes, match the 1.2V voltage, and replace the batteries in each light as a full matched set. The Brightown and Howardly listings say to recharge the batteries every 3 months, and the Kruta listing says every 3 to 4 months, so a battery that sits unused still needs charging now and then.
FAQ: power away from the grid
What battery do solar lights use?
Rechargeable NiMH batteries at 1.2V, in AA or AAA size. Match the size and the voltage to the light, and use the capacity the light takes: the listings here run from 600mAh to 2000mAh.
Can I use regular alkaline batteries in a solar light?
No. Solar lights charge their batteries from the panel, and alkaline batteries are not rechargeable. Use NiMH rechargeable batteries at 1.2V, and do not use them in products designed only for 1.5V alkaline batteries, as the WENJOOP listing states.
Why did my solar light stop working?
Check the panel, the battery and the sensor in order. A dirty or shaded panel charges nothing, a worn battery holds no charge, and a dirty sensor never turns the light on. Replace the battery first: it is the part that most often fails.
How long do solar light batteries last?
The listings state 500 to 2000 charge cycles, and the Tenergy listing states the batteries can power solar lights for up to 5 years. Watch for dimming and early shut-off: those are the signs the battery is wearing out.
Can I mix old and new batteries in a solar light?
No. Replace the batteries in each light as a full matched set, and do not mix used and new batteries or mix capacities and types, as the WENJOOP listing states.
Related solar guides
See the how to fix a solar light, the solar light replacement parts, the how to clean solar lights and the best in ground solar path lights.
