All you want is to find solar lighting with portable solar power. You want light out a country lane or lighting for an RV. Maybe you want to be sure you have emergency lighting. Whatever it is, you need to find solar lighting with portable solar power to run it.

Your search is realistic. You can find solar lighting, portable solar power energizing it, in many isolated areas. The portable solar is charged with the sun, and the power stored until needed.

Where to Find Solar Lighting with Portable Solar Power

1. Larger needs: A small, portable solar unit will usually come with a solar panel and simple wire kit for the input jack. In addition, a small fluorescent light may be integrated into the unit. For solar lighting, portable solar power will be stored inside the unit during the day, released when your light comes on after dark.

You can operate these portable solar units at the same time the solar panel is re-charging them. For example, in a remote area, you can put the solar panel in the sun to charge the battery, and then use the portable solar power unit to handle small needs during the day.

Portable solar power units come in various sizes. A smaller one may supply only enough power for short-term use of a single electric drill while you build that vacation home. A larger one can operate an electric coffee maker, a small refrigerator, or a motor up to 1/2 HP. Portable solar can power your fluorescent lighting just as it would be powered by electrical power from a wall outlet.

Portable solar of this type is available online simply by using the search phrase “portable solar”.

2. Smaller needs: If you are trying to find solar lighting, portable solar power incorporated into the lights, you may want to search for garden or landscape lighting.

Photovoltaic, portable solar panels in these lights charge a long-life Ni-Cad rechargeable battery by absorbing sunlight during the day. At dusk, the lights sense the change, automatically come on, and remain lit throughout the night. One day’s charge with portable solar will usually provide light for about 12 hours.

Do you need lighting for a remote cabin or camp site? That calls for portable solar. Do you want a solar-powered lamp for emergencies - or to take with you to a country where electrical service is spotty? Portable solar power can provide them.

We found one online site that offers a 10-watt portable solar panel package. It features a self-contained battery and controller, and comes with a pigtail cord. With it, you can run 12-volt items such as lights or a small appliance.

TIP: Remember that all portable solar units, whether for lighting or other purposes, work best when they receive regular, sufficient sunlight.

The term “solar power” is used to describe any of the various means used to harness energy that resides in sunlight. The means itself is a solar power generator.

Man has harnessed solar power for many, many centuries. We continue to use traditional, “invisible” solar power generators. We build houses to face south in the northern hemisphere, north in the southern hemisphere. This gives us an invisible solar power generator to heat our homes in cold months. We hang clothing outdoors, our clothes dryer powered by an invisible solar power generator. We dry food with a simple solar power generator.

In recent years, as developed countries have fought the rising costs and limited supplies of fuels, more powerful solar power generators have gained attention. They currently enjoy widespread use in remote locations and in space. Can we use them in non-isolated areas now, and reduce our dependence on other fuel supplies?

Let’s look briefly at three types of solar power generator.

1. Solar Cells - When electricity was needed for satellites, scientists developed “photovoltaic” cells. These solar power generators turn sunlight into electricity with no intermediate step. People living in sunny climates can use photovoltaic cells to power light bulbs. It takes only about 1 square yard (1 m. sq.) to light a 100W bulb. If you own a solar cell pocket calculator, you own a solar power generator.

2. Solar water heating - You have undoubtedly seen glass panels on roofs. You may not have known that water ran through those panels. They are a type of solar power generator. Heated by the sun, the water does not require much energy from a gas or electric water heater. In addition, this solar power generator can send heated water through pipes beneath the floor to maintain warmth.

3. Solar furnaces - These solar power generators employ many mirrors to concentrate the sun’s energy and produce extremely high temperatures. The principal is somewhat like that of focusing a sunbeam through a magnifying glass to produce a flame that will start a fire. At a solar furnace in France, 63 flat mirrors track the sun automatically, and concentrate its light on a reflector. The reflector concentrates the rays further to produce 1000 kilowatts - and a temperature of 33,000 degrees centigrade. This solar power generator is used to power a furnace producing steel from iron ore.

If you are serious about the environment, or just serious about saving money, you may want to build your own solar power generator. On this site, we have reviewed an e-book on the subject, and provided an easy link for ordering your own copy. Click here to read the review.

Many people thought little about Mississippi before Hurricane Katrina. Then, abruptly, photos of ruined Mississippi homes filled the news.

The destructive power of Hurricane Katrina made people think about building solar energy homes in Mississippi. People began to realize that a solar home would at least have emergency power when the sky cleared after a major storm.

The Solar Home

A solar home is a house that is designed to use solar radiation for heating, solar water heating, and solar panels for electricity. A solar home usually features walls of heat-absorbing materials behind large areas of glass. Its roof or ground will hold solar panels to generate electricity.

There are many reasons to consider solar energy homes in Mississippi, as well as in other states. Photovoltaic (PV) panels, essential to a solar home, are finally becoming a realistic option for the average homeowner. These panels, developed by a space program, can convert sunlight energy into electrical energy for a solar home.

Financial Considerations

Converting to a solar home may appear expensive at first glance, but it can be a shrewd investment. Here are a few of the potential financial benefits:

* Lower utility bills - a solar home will obviously cut utility bills. Some people speak of this as watching the meter run backwards.

* Cash rebates - your state may have a cash rebate system that reduces your initial outlay significantly. As of the writing of this article, states that offer cash rebates for solar homes include: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Oregon and Washington.

* Tax incentives - many solar homes qualify for state or federal tax incentives also.

* Higher real estate values - switching an existing home to a solar home can increase its value greatly. According to the National Appraisers Association, every $1 of annual energy savings increases a home’s value by $20. This means that if you save $1,000 in electricity by making yours into a solar home, you could see its value jump by $20,000.

Depending on the state in which the solar home sits, you could also realize a full financial return on investment in less than 10 years.

Other Considerations

A solar home is cleaner, quieter, and more efficient than a conventional home. It is environmentally friendly, and reduces worry of future skyrocketing energy costs.

In isolated areas, where utility power is not readily available, a solar home can be self-sufficient. When natural disasters cause power failures, solar homes have their own supply.

In future articles on this site, we will discuss more detail about building a new solar home, or converting to a solar home.