Solar and wired house numbers both put your address in light after dark. The difference is where the power comes from, and that usually decides which one suits your spot.
Solar suits
- A spot with no power nearby: a post by the street, the end of a long drive, a mailbox
- Anywhere you would rather not run a cable, including rentals
- A sunny, south facing location with open sky
- A smaller budget
Wired suits
- Numbers on the house itself, near a porch light or an indoor outlet
- North facing walls, covered porches and shaded entries
- Steady light every night of the year, adjustable with a dimmer
- Separate metal digits rather than a sign
Side by side
| Solar address sign | Wired backlit digits | |
|---|---|---|
| Power | A small panel charges a battery by day | A 12V driver from house power, plug-in or wire-in |
| Light each night | Follows the day's sun | The same every night |
| Best location | South facing, open sky | Anywhere on the house |
| Install | Screws or a stake, no wiring | Mounted flush, one thin 12V cable |
| On at dusk | Built in | With a smart plug, timer or photocell |
| Upkeep | Keep the panel clean; replace the battery every few years | None routine |
| Look | A plaque or sign with the number on it | Individual metal digits with light on the wall behind |
| Price, four digit address | About $20 to $40 | US$269.96 for four 4 inch digits and a driver |
Solar range from Amazon solar address signs. Wired price is JELSCO's today: black Neutra 4 inch at US$59.99 a digit, brushed stainless 4 inch at US$59.99, driver US$30.00.
Getting the most from solar
A solar sign runs on the sun its panel collected that day, so placement does most of the work. Face the panel south with open sky, keep it clear of leaves and snow, and keep it out of the shadow of trees and eaves. Winter is the planning case: December days are short, and a flat panel gets about 2.3 kWh of sun per square metre a day in Denver, 1.5 in Boston, 1.4 in Chicago and 0.8 in Seattle. Many signs stretch the night by dimming after a few hours.
The battery is the part to plan for. Most solar lights use rechargeable NiMH cells rated for roughly 500 charge cycles, about two to three years of nightly use. A sign with a standard, replaceable cell is worth choosing.
What wired takes
One low-voltage cable. With a plug-in driver, the driver and its dimmer stay indoors at an outlet and only a thin 12V cable passes through the wall. A wire-in driver connects to house wiring where a porch light or junction box already is, like any outdoor fixture. The digits mount flush to the wall.
One of our drivers runs up to 7 four inch digits, 6 six or eight inch, or 4 twelve inch, so most addresses need one. Path lights on a 12V landscape transformer run on AC and the digits need DC; the install guide covers the small rectifier that bridges the two.
Either way, make it readable
Fire codes ask for address numbers at least 4 inches tall, in a colour that contrasts with what is behind them, visible from the street. On a sign or plaque, check the height of the digits themselves. For a house set back from the road, go bigger: 8 inch on a garage or front wall, 12 inch for long driveways.
Questions
Do solar house numbers work in winter?
Yes, with less to work with. A solar sign runs on the sun its panel collected that day, and December days are short: a flat panel gets about 2.3 kWh of sun per square metre a day in Denver, 1.4 in Chicago and 0.8 in Seattle. A south facing spot with open sky and a clean panel make the most of it.
How long does a solar sign's battery last?
Most solar lights use rechargeable NiMH batteries rated for roughly 500 charge cycles, about two to three years of nightly use. Where the battery is a standard cell behind a cover, replacing it brings the run time back.
Are wired house numbers hard to install?
With a plug-in driver it is a do-it-yourself job: mount the digits, run one thin low-voltage cable through the wall, plug the driver into an indoor outlet. A wire-in driver connects to house wiring in place of a porch light, like any outdoor fixture, or an electrician does it in a short visit.
Can wired numbers turn on by themselves at dusk?
Yes. Put a plug-in driver on a smart plug or timer, or wire a dusk-to-dawn photocell ahead of a wire-in driver.
Going wired? Type your house number into the address builder and it adds every digit and the right number of drivers in one step, or see the house numbers guide: two finishes, four sizes, from US$59.99 a digit, shipped from Denver within two business days.