Comments on: 1st Solar Light Bulb – a real BRIGHT idea! http://www.myenergyreference.com/1st-solar-light-bulb-im-in-for-one/ The No Brainer Guide to Energy Conservation Tue, 22 Jun 2010 06:15:18 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: soohool http://www.myenergyreference.com/1st-solar-light-bulb-im-in-for-one/comment-page-1/#comment-549 soohool Tue, 22 Jun 2010 06:15:18 +0000 http://www.myenergyreference.com/?p=477#comment-549 Thanks Tony for your feedback, you might have a point there. Although the sun exposure is so intense there that it might still cover the four panels even though they are not horizontal. As a former Quality Assurance engineer, I have a hard time believing that these guys did not test their product in the market they are after. But who knows. When I get my bulb, I'll do some lab testing ;-) Thanks Tony for your feedback, you might have a point there. Although the sun exposure is so intense there that it might still cover the four panels even though they are not horizontal. As a former Quality Assurance engineer, I have a hard time believing that these guys did not test their product in the market they are after. But who knows. When I get my bulb, I’ll do some lab testing ;-)

]]> By: Tony http://www.myenergyreference.com/1st-solar-light-bulb-im-in-for-one/comment-page-1/#comment-524 Tony Tue, 15 Jun 2010 17:31:15 +0000 http://www.myenergyreference.com/?p=477#comment-524 I did use a solar lighting system for a while - this one had a small solar panel (6" x 12") that charged batteries in a motion activated light. A bit like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Maxsa-Solar-Powered-Motion-Activated-Security-Bright/dp/B000CEE2WQ only mine had two floodlight bulbs. Using LED bulbs makes a lot of sense - need smaller solar cell, and less battery. The design of this solar light bulb is somewhat odd though. The four panels are distributed so that only a couple could be in direct sunlight at a time except in the tropics where the sun is directly overhead. But in the tropics you'd want them angled much closer to horizontal to get good yield. My verdict: neat idea - but I hope version 2 is designed to work better. I did use a solar lighting system for a while – this one had a small solar panel (6″ x 12″) that charged batteries in a motion activated light. A bit like this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Maxsa-Solar-Powered-Motion-Activated-Security-Bright/dp/B000CEE2WQ
only mine had two floodlight bulbs.

Using LED bulbs makes a lot of sense – need smaller solar cell, and less battery.

The design of this solar light bulb is somewhat odd though. The four panels are distributed so that only a couple could be in direct sunlight at a time except in the tropics where the sun is directly overhead. But in the tropics you’d want them angled much closer to horizontal to get good yield.

My verdict: neat idea – but I hope version 2 is designed to work better.

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