Solar powered lights are pretty nifty inventions that have many uses. Who would have thought that you could use the sun to power a light or flashlight? Solar powered flashlights are cool little gadgets. They usually look pretty much like a regular flashlight. They have a simple switch that turns them on and off. They have an area on one end that emits light…enough to allow use at night or in any dark area.

A solar-powered lantern uses the energy of sunlight, converted into electrical energy in a solar photovoltaic (PV) cell or panel on the outside of the lantern, which is then stored in a battery. Most solar-powered flashlights use LED or light-emitting diode lamps instead of an incandescent bulb, since LEDs require less electrical current to operate and last longer. While an incandescent light lasts, on average, around 1,000 hours, an LED lasts an average of 100,000 hours.

Similarly, the solar-charged batteries used in the solar-powered flashlight, compared to the normal single-use nickel, lithium, or cadmium batteries typically seen in flashlights, will typically not require replacement for about two years with constant use. The comparison rate is about 15 hours for a normal battery, compared to about 2500 hours for a solar rechargeable battery.

To maximize the use of your solar-charged batteries, you should leave the flashlight on for more than 15 hours at least once a month to fully expend the charge. Rechargeable batteries have a memory effect. So if you continually use the flashlight without fully discharging it, it will eventually only recharge to a lower level (memory) and never return to 100 percent of its available power.

For best results, keep your solar lantern on a window sill when not in use, where the solar panel is exposed to the maximum amount of sunlight. If you don’t use it regularly, take special care to turn it on…and leave it on…as described above, at least once a month.

You can find solar powered flashlights in most hardware stores today. They are ideal for camping and emergency use. Every vehicle and every home should have one. If you’re wondering why… think back to those times when you needed a flashlight in a hurry and realized the batteries were dead and you didn’t have spares… or you didn’t know where they were!

Some amazingly innovative designs are being created for solar lanterns… with add-ons like siren, flashing light, cell phone charger, etc. in addition to the basic flashlight design. There are also a large number of solar flashlight keychains on the market today. The price range varies depending on the uniqueness of the style, the outer shell and additional features.

If you’re interested in “spreading light” in a very solar way, you can visit bogolight.com. The name means “Buy one, give one”. SunNight Solar, the company that operates the BoGoLight program, is a limited liability company founded by Mark Bent in 2006. Having served in the US Diplomatic Corps in various developing countries, Mark saw the need for light in many places and found a way to provide When you purchase a solar lantern from BoGoLight, or through one of its affiliates, such as InHabitat, an identical solar lantern will be donated to a nonprofit organization that collects and ships the lights to areas in need around the world.

What a unique and wonderful way to “shine a little” light…in a very solar way…and illuminate the dark for those who can’t see. Solar lights are the wave of the future.