4 Global Problems Addressed By Solar Powered Lanterns

Solar powered lanterns are not merely decorative outdoor lanterns; they provide solutions to four (4) global problems that the present generation faces.

1. Cheap Lighting

A solar powered lantern can provide cheap lighting.

The lighting needs of a typical household incur electricity fees that can reach deep down a regular, working-class, family man's pocket. Add to this the costs of changing the batteries of ordinary lanterns or flashlights at home. These costs can easily be converted into savings if one knows where to invest his money for his household's lighting needs.

Today, unit costs for these types of solar lights are very affordable. This means one is already saving money just by investing in one.

There is no need to change batteries and use AC power for charging. Just set it out in the sun for about 8 hours to fully charge and a household has cheap lighting at night for up to five hours.

2. Lighting in Rural Areas

Solar powered lanterns can be new for most households in the US. In many parts of Africa where there are people living in rural areas that has limited access to electricity, this type of lantern is actually commonplace. Similarly, in other parts of the world where there are areas that do not have direct access to electricity, solar lanterns provide ample lighting for the residents of these areas without depending solely on electricity supply.

3. Protection of the Ozone Layer

Today, most urban areas have ready access to electricity. Why is it important to consider investing in solar powered lanterns?

More than just being good sources of light, outdoor solar lanterns will lessen pollution and help our environment.

We have electricity because of burning fossil fuels. This continuous burning of fossil fuels releases harmful pollutants to the atmosphere gradually destroying the protective layer of the Earth called the ozone layer.

The continuous release of harmful carbon compounds to the air will increase the hole in the ozone layer, laying bare that part of the Earth under it to harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun.

The good news is that the ozone layer repairs itself. If all of us would invest in solar powered lanterns, the hole of the ozone layer would surely shrink to manageable size over time.

4. Alternative Energy Source

The same fossil fuels used to generate electricity are on the brink of depletion. And because of that, countries worldwide are starting to look for other sources of energy. Scientists have yet to fully assess the impact of the depletion of fossil fuels to world industries but they have generally agreed that it would be huge and at a disaster level.

Solar powered lanterns help in energy conservation by harnessing free energy from the sun. Solar energy is not only free but it can also be harnessed to power portable appliances from calculators to lanterns. If only people would consider using it to power up their homes, the world would not anymore be dependent on fossil fuel that has a byproduct that harms the Mother Earth.