Product Review from Environmental Building News
April 1, 2004
Solar- and Wind-Powered Outdoor Lighting from MoonCell
A unique outdoor light fixture from MoonCell, Inc. provides off-grid illumination using both solar and wind power. The Enviro-Lum™ luminaire is mounted on a pole between 12 and 15 feet (3.5 to 4.5 m) high, and is recommended for use in remote or environmentally sensitive locations. Each Enviro-Lum uses 12 one-watt Luxeon® LEDs (light-emitting diodes); although white LEDs are standard, a range of colors can be specified. The self-contained unit has a sealed, 12-amp-hour, deep-cycle, lead-acid battery that is trickle-charged by a 1.3-amp (15.6-watt), three-bladed, Savonius-rotor-type wind turbine and an integrated 10.7-watt photovoltaic module. The wind turbine begins generating power in a breeze of 2–3 miles per hour (0.9–1.3 m/s). A second, external, 10.7-watt PV panel can be added to boost power generation. Although the external panel is optional, “we recommend using this panel always,” MoonCell president Bob Manes told
EBN.
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