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Solar LED lights are a clean and renewable energy technology that lights up towns and cities using solar power.
Energy from the sun is collected by solar panels and converted into electricity charging the battery. The LED light is powered via energy from the battery.
It is an eco-friendly technology offering reduced CO2 emissions and can be installed easily.
Panasonic has developed a Solar LED Lantern, for use in regions across the world with little or no electricity. It is dual-purpose with a rechargeable storage battery that powers the lamp at night as well as charge mobile units.
The development of this technology is part of “Panasonic’s 100 Thousand Solar Lantern Project” which benefits 1.32 billion people across developing countries across parts of Asia and Africa.
Features of Solar LED Lanterns are:
- They are made up of five LEDs that ensure 360-degree illumination. The brightness of the LEDs can be set at high, medium, or low modes.
- Lanterns are composed of a 3.5 W solar panel that fully charges the battery in about 6 hours.
- They have a USB port for charging small devices like mobile phones.
- IP34*7- rated protection which ensures that the light is resistant to water and dust.
In 2012, Panasonic supplied 2000 solar lanterns to various schools, medical facilities, and small traders in Cambodia. They are also planning to send 5000 lantern units to India, 3000 units to Myanmar, and 2000 units to Africa.
Panasonic hopes to launch its product in Malaysia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kenya, followed by other developing countries, in the near future.
Reports suggest that nearly 20% of the world’s population has little or no electricity. Kerosene lamps are still used in many developing countries and not only provide insufficient lighting but also release toxic substances into the environment.
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