This Solar Light Bulb Is a Brilliant Idea for Off-Grid Illumination
Open Green Energy's LED device can serve as a low-cost replacement for harmful kerosene lamps in remote areas.
As you of course know, it’s quite difficult to see at night or in enclosed spaces with no light. While many of us would pull out or smartphones in such a scenario, if you don’t have one around, or a reliable way to charge it, then Open Green Energy has a solution in the form of his Nocturnal Solar Light Bulb V2.0.
According to its creator, the project was designed for those living in remote places with limited access to electricity as a low-cost solar light bulb replacement for harmful kerosene lamps.
The DIY device features a nice 3D-printed housing that's colored green with the exception of the front portion. This is printed in white, and the built-in reflector is masked off and painted silver in order to better direct the light. A single solar panel sits on top of the housing, and it includes a jack into which one can plug an external panel if faster charging is required.
An 8mm stray hat-style LED generates the actual light for the assembly. A QX525F integrated circuit provides charge control to the battery, and supplies sufficient power to the LED via a rechargeable NiMh battery pack. The Nocturnal Solar Light Bulb turns on at night based light input to the panel and a switch is also available to cut it off as needed. JST connectors attach the battery and built-in panel to its custom PCB.
It’s a fairly simple yet well done project, and could spark several ideas on how to make a solar device yourself!