How Do You Make A Solar-Powered Flashlight?
It sounds counterintuitive to build a solar-powered flashlight. If the sun is out enough to power the flashlight it should also be bright enough outside to see. That’s why solar flashlights store the energy generated by the photovoltaic cell in batteries for use when it’s not so sunny, such as later that night. Solar flashlights are often built as hybrids, combining the solar cell with another power source, such as a hand crank, so you truly are never without an emergency light source. Take a shortcut and buy a solar battery charger. Use it with your regular flashlight. In the daytime, make sure the battery charger with the rechargeable batteries inside is in full view of the sun. In the evening, use the solar-charged batteries in your flashlight just like regular batteries. Buy a kit from companies like Spheral Solar or Arbor Scientific. The kits come with a thin-film solar cell, electrodes, NiMH rechargeable batteries and a 1-watt LED light bulb. You assemble the electronics using a
