Can I Choose Solar Lights Simply Based on The Power Rate or Watts?
- Topaz Du
- Aug 7, 2022
- 2 min read
When choosing solar lights, many individuals may ask themselves: Should I select 50W, 100W, or other watts?

Don't worry; let's first examine how solar lights operate. Utilizing solar panels to transform light energy into electrical energy, batteries are used to store the electrical energy before being used to power LED lights. The theory may appear straightforward, but solar lights really contain a variety of technological components, including photovoltaic panels, controllers, batteries, LEDs, etc. Choosing a nice solar light is not an easy task.

Since solar lights also use batteries for electricity, they should fall under the same category as standard electric cars, cell phones, laptops, and flashlights. But why don't electrical devices like torches and cell phones prominently display their wattage? The team at Tesla won't reveal the electric car's wattage, just as those who would just not during the Apple mobile phone conference. Only the battery capacity of the phone, how long it will last when playing games or watching movies, how long it will last when on standby, etc., will be disclosed. Tesla will just inform you that your electric vehicle has a 400-kilometer range, for example.
In view of this, why do solar lights estimate their output in watts? It is a question of habit after all. We use watts as a unit to assess the brightness and cost of light, and these lights are linked to 110V or 220V grid electricity, starting with the original incandescent lamps and progressing via energy-saving bulbs to later LED lamps. The same-looking items, however, abruptly altered how energy is supplied. Many individuals first found it challenging to accept using different units to measure the original items, which confused people's perceptions generally. The solar lighting business currently lacks a clear standard, making each producer essentially autonomous and using their own standard procedure.
Currently, marking the led beads' power is standard practice in the industry. For instance, a solar light with 60 0.5W output LEDs is referred to as having a 30W power output. However, even though this solar light can discharge with the full power of 30W, the actual situation is that the battery used by most of common solar lights is a 18650 lithium battery, and its voltage is approximately 3.7V, this means that this solar light is not as powerful as those 30W Incandescent lamps. A 3.7V battery can hardly support a 30W lamp. Moreover, because there is no device that can measure the battery discharge power, this parameter can only be calculated, which might be wrong in the real situation.
As a result, it is impossible to choose a suitable solar light simply based on the power rate. The specifications of the solar light and its accessories must be carefully taken into account. The list of data indicators that are provided below can be utilized as a guide.
1. The solar panel's output, controls how soon the solar light may be fully charged. Generally speaking, the price of a solar panel increases with its power;
2, battery capacity, which decides how long the solar light can operate and increases in price with battery size;

3, The brand and number of the LED lights affect the brightness of the solar light;
4, The system controller, determines how long the solar light will last.
I truly hope that everyone may find a solar light that fits them.
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