Home > Learning Center >Solar Lighting
Solar Lighting
Every day the earth is lit by solar lighting. Many house and building designs incorporate open floor plans to increase the amount of natural light that is allowed into the interior of the building. This can greatly save on lighting costs but it doesn’t solve the main problem lights were invented for, lighting areas when the sun is not shining, either because it is night, overcast or in an area without windows.
Another form of solar lighting uses solar panels and highly efficient lights and batteries. During the day the lights are off, but the unit is still working, converting sunlight into power and then storing it in a battery. When the sunlight has faded, which is sensed naturally by the photovoltaic cell, the battery is switched on and the unit emits light. These are often used to light pathways and yards, but can be used in almost any circumstance.
Solar lighting is a energy efficient way of lighting any area at night. Even if the panels are big enough to power many electrical appliances, lights will be the most commonly used. Used in combination with ultra-high efficiency bulbs such as light emitting diodes and compact fluorescent bulbs can give them enough energy to keep a light burning brightly all night long.