It is estimated that about 1.6 billion people on this planet live without assess to electricity, and 400 million of them are in India. The " Solar products project" aims to provide solar rechargeable lanterns to rural area in India, where electricity is still not available. India receives abundant radiant energy from sun because of its location in the equatorial sun belt of the earth. In most part of the India, clear sunny weather is experienced in 280 to 300 days in a year. Solar lanterns not only contribute to improving the quality of people's lives but help prevent global warming by reducing CO2 emissions.
Like many children in India, young students in the village of Hooghly district, many students cannot attend school during the day, and instead attend classes after dark. The children struggled to read and write by the low-grade, flickering light of these makeshift kerosene wick lamps, while the stinging smoke assaulted their eyes and lungs. Now equipped with solar LED lantern, the students enjoy greatly improved lighting - the instructor is using just solar LED lantern hung overhead to provide far better light for the entire class.
Endeavour for Education and Environment (EEE) has developed a high quality Solar LED Lantern designed to make solar energy more accessible. The lantern can provide more than Six hours backup. Solar lantern is a simple application of Solar Photovoltaic Technology, which has found good acceptance in all regions where the power supply is a major problem.
Working of Solar Lanterns
The solar lanterns are fitted with the solar panel that collects the solar energy during daytime. The photovoltaic cell or solar cells convert the solar energy into electrical energy, which is stored in the maintenance-free battery. In the conventional lanterns the battery is charged by the domestic electricity point, but in solar lanterns the battery is charged by solar energy.
Advantages of LED Solar Lanterns
The solar lanterns can be fitted with various types of lamps, however the LED type of solar lanterns are most popular. LED lamps consume very less amount of power which increases the duration of time the lamp burns from the power stored in the battery throughout the day. The LED lamps also have long life extending well beyond 50,000 hours.
