Did you ever wonder how a solar lamp works? This minor miracle is a good omen for the future of green energy, as we nudge towards an environmentally safer tomorrow. Yet amazingly, the inventor Maurice E Paradise does not even have a bio on Google we could easily find. How fickle we are and how soon we forget lessons from our past.
How a Little Wonder Solar Lamp Works
Maurice E Paradise was way ahead of his time when he described his vision on July 7, 1959.
“This invention relates to devices utilizing the phenomenon of photon emission from the sun to develop and store electrical energy. For subsequent usage to power a source of light in the visible wave length region.
“And more particularly to a new and improved solar powered device which produces intermittent visible flashes of light in day time or night time. This device being characterized by long-time reliability, and extreme portability.”
Maurice E Paradise’s vision has come a long way since then, because we now have far better batteries too. However, modern interpretations still use photovoltaic cells to absorb the sun’s energy, and create electrical energy moving through the panels. Conductive wires then transport this solar power to a battery, which stores it and releases it to light up the lamp.
Pure, Efficient Energy Directly from Our Sun
The battery uses freely available solar energy to power a highly-efficient, light emitting diode lamp. This device is a semiconductor, allowing the electrons of electrical energy to pass through it.
This incredible invention is 95% more energy efficient than conventional incandescent and fluorescent lighting. And this in turn allows the tiny battery to continue delivering consistent clean electrical light for a long time.
Many of us still limit our imagination to solar lights in our gardens at night. That’s a real pity, because they have so many more wonderful uses in our homes. Utilities are also increasingly using solar lamps for illuminated street signs and lights. But we could say the solar revolution has only just begun!
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