Most of these concerns are not a problem with a solar fountain.  The reason for this is due to the fact that most solar fountains rely upon a simple photovoltaic system.  These systems, similar to what you would find in solar garden lights and other smaller outdoor appliances that require little energy demands, can provide more than enough power.

A simple clean look provided by a solar fountain.

There are many reasons why it just makes sense to go solar for so many of your outdoor lighting and other electrical needs.  One of the key features that make the solar fountain pumps such a great innovation is due to garden design and function.  If you were to design a garden fountain that incorporated a koi fish pond and some other unique features that needed to be in an area away from nearby electrical sources, then you’d have to invest quite a bit in labor and materials to get your power source where you need the power.

With a solar water fountain, you eliminate this problem.  So, in this case, the solar really helps you with design more than anything else.  If your space was quite large, then costs would be more of a factor.  If you are patio design challenged, you can always get a solar fountain kit.  These come with all the major parts and you just follow the directions to get your set up working in a matter of hours.

Most solar fountain manufacturers keep a close eye on their competition and market forces when it comes to pricing.  For a simple floating fountain, you can pay as little as $80-100 USD.  These typically have a spray pattern to them.  Other simple solar fountains can be found for $125-200 USD.  For something that is of higher efficiency and has some other unique features or is simply larger, you can pay $250 USD and up.

As solar technology continues to improve, costs go down and efficiency goes up.  With efficiency, we are mostly referring to the way that the solar cells or photovoltaic (PV) cells translate the energy from the sun into electricity.  Also, there are challenges with storing this energy once it is captured.  This is more important for things like powering your home with solar energy.  Just because the sun goes down doesn’t mean you don’t need energy.  The same could be true of your fountain as well.  If you’d like to hear your fountain at night or just after sunset, you’ll need to have a battery system.  Depending upon your choice of fountains, you may or may not have the ability to store the energy to be used to run your fountain at night.  Some solar powered fountains only work during the day or when there is adequate sun to power them.  So, if you would like to have the ability to enjoy the sound of the water in the daytime, evening and even cloudy days, consider your solar fountain choices carefully.

Photo credit