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Home Energy Magazine Online May/June 1996
TRENDS
Small PV Grows in the Garden
Small, freestanding, photovoltaic lights are becoming
more popular, as both contractors and do-it-yourselfers are attracted to
their simplicity. According to Phil Lerch of Alpan, the world's biggest
solar lighting manufacturer, last year's sales were up 40% over 1994 for
what they call garden lights, which includes driveway and walkway fixtures,
security lights, and portable solar-powered lanterns.
The lights consist of an integrated solar panel,
battery, and lamp. To produce light, the fixtures use low-wattage light-emitting
diodes (LEDs), compact fluorescents, or halogens. Different applications
call for different details-the portable lantern has a lighter-weight battery,
while the security light has a motion sensor. Lights will burn as long
as nine hours per night under optimal conditions, although without sun
during the day, the lights won't burn at all.
Two manufacturers are behind the growing popularity
of garden lights. Alpan, in San Diego, and Brinkman, in Dallas, have both
pushed solar fixtures in the home market, selling many of their units at
buyers' clubs and through mail order. According to Lerch, the units range
in price from $30 to $70 and cost almost nothing to install. This makes
their initial cost lower than that of plug-in fixtures, which require outdoor-grade
electric supplies, and the solar lamps' operating costs are negligible.
Steven Bodzin is a freelance writer based
in San Francisco, California.
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