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Solar vs Electric LED Floodlight: Cost, Brightness and When to Choose Each
Solar or electric LED floodlight? Compare brightness in lumens, running cost and installation to choose the right floodlight for your gate, yard or farm.
If you need to light a gate, yard, parking area or shop front, you have two choices: an electric (mains) LED floodlight or a solar floodlight. Both have their place. This guide compares brightness, running cost and installation so you can pick the right one, and explains the one number that confuses most buyers: the watt rating on solar floodlights.
First, the watt rating on solar floodlights
On electric LED floodlights, the watt rating is the power the light uses from the mains. On solar floodlights, the watt number is usually a model size rather than the power it draws. That is why a “100W” solar floodlight is not as bright as a 100W electric floodlight.
The fair way to compare is lumens, which measure how much light you actually get. Our product pages list lumens for every floodlight, so you can compare like with like.
Side-by-side comparison
| Model | Type | Light output | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| InfraBright 50W | Electric | 6,000 lumens | Rs 499 |
| InfraBright 100W | Electric | 12,000 lumens | Rs 749 |
| InfraBright 200W | Electric | 24,000 lumens | Rs 1,499 |
| Solar 100W | Solar | 1,000 lumens | Rs 1,500 |
| Solar 200W | Solar | 2,000 lumens | Rs 2,000 |
| Solar 300W | Solar | 3,000 lumens | Rs 2,500 |
| Solar 400W | Solar | 4,000 lumens | Rs 3,000 |
Prices are as listed on our website today. For the same money, an electric floodlight gives far more light. A solar floodlight gives you something different: no wiring, no electricity bill and light during power cuts.
What an electric floodlight costs to run
Running cost depends on your electricity tariff, which varies by state and by how many units you use. As a worked example at Rs 8 per unit, used for 12 hours a night:
- 50W: 0.6 units a night, about 18 units a month, roughly Rs 144 a month or Rs 1,750 a year.
- 100W: 1.2 units a night, about 36 units a month, roughly Rs 288 a month or Rs 3,500 a year.
Add the one-time cost of cable, a switch or timer, and an electrician if there is no power point near the spot. A solar floodlight has no running cost and no cabling. Over a year or two, solar often works out cheaper for spots far from the mains, even though it is less bright.
When to choose an electric LED floodlight
- There is already a power point or wiring close to where the light goes.
- You need a lot of light: warehouses, sports areas, large factory yards and building facades.
- Power cuts are rare where you are.
When to choose a solar floodlight
- There is no wiring nearby: farm gates, boundary walls, sheds, gardens and new plots.
- You want zero electricity bills on lights that run all night.
- Power cuts are common and you want the area lit regardless.
- You are a tenant or cannot drill and wire, and want a light you can move later.
Many homes use both
A common setup is an electric floodlight where power is easy (front of the house, shop board) and solar floodlights for the far corners: the back gate, the boundary wall, the car parking or the farm shed. For the full range, see our LED floodlights and solar lights, or read our guides to LED floodlight wattage and solar floodlight sizes.
Buying for a society, farm, site or shop? Retailers and contractors get trade pricing. See our solar lighting for societies and farms page or contact us for a quote. Delivery across India.