Besides reducing greenhouse gas levels, ecofriendly lanterns also help in reducing our electricity bills. Switching to ecofriendly modes of illumination will cause significant improvement in our environment. Ecofriendly solar lanterns produce light by incorporating photovoltaic panels which harness the energy of the sun.
They have become a cost-effective alternative to kerosene lamps for the the people living in developing countries, who have no electricity. Solar lanterns using LEDs produce bright light and is a viable option for poor students.
Let us now take a look at some ecofriendly lantern designs for sustainable illumination.
1. Fujitsu’s new solar lantern
This solar lantern, which doubles up as an FM radio, is the latest disaster preparedness product by Fujitsu BSC following the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The lantern is equipped with a large photovoltaic panel to be charged by sunlight. The lantern contains a total of 32 LED lights on its sides, producing maximum brightness of around 60,000 millicandela. You can lit this lamp in any combination of facets, such as only the front, or both sides. A full charging of 8 hours provides 44 hours of light. The solar-powered lantern can also be charged via USB or AC adapter. The lantern weighs less than 2 pounds, making it easy to carry. It is effectively designed for power cuts, natural disasters, and outdoor uses.
2. Ecofriendly ‘LED Lenser TT7105’ LED Lantern
The LED Lenser TT7105, by the Oregon based Sporting goods distributor LightsAndKnives.Com, is an energy efficient and long lasting lantern perfect for camping and various other outdoor activities. The lantern has been designed to have a long life, provides exceptional illumination and has minimum influence on nature. This lantern isn’t one of the regular and cheap ones which after few years find a place in your garage never to be used again. In fact, for those concerned with durability of your products, this lantern comes with a life-time guarantee. Moreover, the lantern uses highly efficient LED which uses much less energy than the standard battery-powered lanterns, producing nearly 200 hours of illumination from just one set of batteries. The LED Lenser TT7105 producing 70 lumens of power comes with a dimmer switch making it ideal for camping. A built-in battery lets you know about the energy remaining. The lantern’s handle can be easily converted to a hook for overhead illumination. The LED Lenser TT7105 comes in handy during power outages, roadside emergencies, backyard parties and camping.
3. Solar LED Lanterns
The Solar LED Lanterns by Tideland Signals are marine lanterns used to mark the Coral reef surrounding Rodrigues Island in the Indian Ocean. These lanterns, dubbed SolaMAX, will help improve fishing on the outer reef. Mounted on solid structures on the reef, these solar lanterns display a yellow light visible up to 5NM. The lanterns feature a built-in solar panel which charge a lead-acid battery through a solar regulator. The electronic components are tightly contained in a UV-resistant polycarbonate enclosure. The lanterns need to be opened only to change the batteries which have a life-span of five years.
4. Panasonic solar LED Lanterns
In addition to monetary donations, Panasonic sent around 4000 units of solar LED lanterns to the survivors of the catastrophic Tohoku-Pacific Ocean earthquake in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures. The solar LED Lanterns incorporated solar cells to be charged by sunlight. These 4000 units of solar LED lanterns consisted of two models, one of which included a USB output used to recharge mobile phones.
5. Leaf Lantern: A versatile solar lamp by Samuel Li
Designed by Samuel Li, the designer famous for inventing beautiful lamps, the Leaf lantern is made up of small discs or leaves, each of which produce their own light. These discs can be stacked on top of one another and can function as a single unit. Each of these discs have photovoltaic cells embedded in them enabling them to be charged by sunlight. The cordless lamp can be effectively used to illuminate big spaces while the discs or the leaves can be used separately to function as flashlights in smaller areas. The leaves can be used in decorative lighting, as a substitute for candles or as inductive charging units for low-power devices.
6. LED Lantern
The LED lantern designed by Young Bok Kim puts a modern twist on the conventional hourglass. Instead of sand, the Hourglass lantern dispenses LEDs upside down. You also have the option of regulating the time and controlling the flow of light from top to bottom by adjusting the dial between the two halves of the lantern. The hourglass lantern can be a suitable replacement for candlelight to illuminate your dinner table.
7. D.Light showcases the world’s most affordable solar lantern
Designers at D.Light have come up with ‘Kiran’, the world’s most affordable solar lantern, for the thousands of people living in developing countries who don’t have electricity. This lantern, the result of a long research by the company in rural India, is priced at just $10. The lantern incorporates highly efficient LEDs in its design which provides up to 8 hours of light on a single day’s charge, five times more than that of a kerosene lamp.
8. Qnuru: Solar goodness to green your home interiors
Qnuru, a portable solar lantern incorporates in its design, special reflectors to enhance light angles, along with PVs providing maximum lighting. The lamp made of steel uses LEDs instead of regular lighting bulbs. The glass body of the lamp ensures optimal light scattering enabling illumination of a large area.
9. Ecofriendly wind-up LED Lantern
The ecofriendly wind-up LED Lantern Radio mobile power hub is the perfect lantern to take on a camping or a hiking trip. Winding up the lantern for a couple of times provides enough power to last for an hour, thus eliminating the need of expensive batteries. The ecofriendly lantern is powerful enough to light up your entire tent and also provides great walking coverage. An added feature is that you can listen to your favorite music or to the news on the go by just flipping on the radio which comes with the lamp.
10. K-State students develop low-cost solar lantern for Sub-Saharan Africans
A team of students at the Kansas State university have developed a solar-powered low-cost lantern keeping in mind the people living in Sub-Saharan Africa, most of whom have no electricity. The lantern is powered by solar energy, which is generated by solar panels and stored in a sealed lead-acid battery. The inexpensive materials used to make this lantern help to curb its market price by 30% than the average value. This low-cost lantern, offering brighter light can be a suitable alternative to the kerosene lamps used by people in rural areas.
