Solar outdoor lighting is the art and science of lighting up an outdoor space with the help of the energy contained within rays of sunlight. This is usually done by the use of a solar cell battery pack connected to a lighting element. A typical solar outdoor lighting unit contains a plastic case, a single NiCad battery, a solar cell on the top, a small circuit board and an LED and photoresistor.
The solar cell used in solar outdoor lighting is a four cell solar array, which measures around 2 inches square. The function of the solar cell is to convert the solar energy incident on it into electrical energy. The photoresistor is an electrical component, which plays a vital role in outdoor solar lighting. The function of the photoresistor is to detect darkness, and turn on or off the outdoor solar lighting equipment suitably.
Lights Outdoor
Typically a single solar cell would produce around 0.45 volts. The current produced by it depends on the amount of sunlight falling on it and the size of the cell. In solar outdoor lighting, the four cells are wired together in series, which produces a cumulative voltage of 1.8 volts. Under bright sunlight the solar cell may produce a current of about 100 milliamperes.
This solar cell is then wired to the AA sized NiCad battery, which is essentially same as the rechargeable batteries used in cameras. A diode placed in between the battery and the solar cell prevents the current from flowing back to the solar cell in the solar outdoor lighting equipment. During the day time, the battery is charged by the sunlight falling on the solar cell array placed on the top. The battery reaches its maximum charge during the day.
Meanwhile, during night time, the solar cells do not produce any electricity due to lack of sunlight. Its photoresistor senses that darkness has fallen, and automatically switches on the LED. One of the most important components in solar outdoor lighting is the LED; in normal solar outdoor lighting equipment, it produces around the same amount of light as a candle. Some equipments use two LEDs and a halogen bulb. The Halogen bulb is switched on when the light detects any motion near it. This is performed by a motion detector circuit placed inside the solar outdoor lighting equipment.
Solar outdoor lighting units are now much less expensive than 10 years ago, and their prices will come down in the near future, making this a highly viable and environment friendly alternative to other forms of lighting.
Solar Outdoor Lighting Specifications
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