Many of us are entering the holiday season full of goodwill toward men, but give some joy to the world and make this holiday season an eco-friendly one. Before you light up the neighborhood with your Christmas spirit, consider making your holiday a little greener with solar powered Christmas lights and LED bulbs.

Solar powered Christmas lights

If you waste time wrestling with tangled cords, you’ll be as burnt out as the light bulbs on your Christmas decorations. Upgrade your holiday lights with solar powered versions to avoid the hassle and the headaches. These eco-friendly alternatives will make sure your Christmas stays merry and bright, while saving you money on your electricity bill. Solar powered lights are not bound to outlets and extension cords, so you can decorate whatever, wherever. The lights will connect to a small solar panel in the ground. Once fully charged, they’ll glow for a few hours after sundown. While solar powered strands of lights are most commonly used outside, they can be used inside on your tree and around the house.

While solar powered Christmas lights help create the magic of the season, they require some special considerations. In Nebraska, December days are short, which means your solar powered lights will have limited time to recharge. However, quality solar panels will recharge on cloudy days, and a good battery will keep your lights shining for hours. Just know spend some time researching solar lights before you buy them, and make sure to place the solar panels in direct sunlight.

Going green with this year’s holiday light spectacular will save you money on your electricity bill but it will also cost a little extra upfront. Solar Christmas lights tend to be more expensive. However, the cost will even out over time as these lights tend to last longer and save you money in energy costs.

LED lights

Solar panel Christmas lights use LED bulbs but you can also get these energy efficient lights in regular electric strands. Light Emitting Diode lights are way more efficient than traditional Christmas lights that use incandescent bulbs. Increased efficiency will save you money on energy bills. The incandescent Christmas lights that you’ve been using for years waste energy. These tiny bulbs let off heat as they twinkle, which is a form of energy. LED bulbs do not let off heat, making them a green alternative. Replacing individual light bulbs is a struggle and replacing entire strands of lights is just maddening. You can avoid these two festive frustrations by switching to LED lights this year. The LED strand will continue to shine if a bulb goes out.