Solar tiger burning bright

Christmas lights are getting into the off-grid spirit for the first time this year. The BBC reports that the town of Porthcawl in Wales will save £10,000 this Christmas because it 88 festive trees are all solar-powered.

LED Magazine reports that the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington DC has used thousands of low-voltage LED lamps for its Zoolights show, an autonomous, off-grid installation powered by an experimental 12 VDC hydrogen fuel-cell system from Pepco.

A similar green approach has been employed by two vineyards in Temecula, California, this time using solar power to provide LED lighting for the Temeculights Holiday Festival. The organizers, the Green Lights Project, are seeking to educate visitors about California’s solar energy incentives, rebates and renewable energy credits.

An LED lighting system at South Coast Winery Resort & Spa will be powered with a 1,000 sq.ft. solar-power station, generating up to 10kW an hour during daylight hours to power over 12 miles of LED light strings every evening from dusk until 9 pm through the first week of January 2008.

At Keyways Vineyard and Winery, LED lighting throughout over 2 acres of vineyards will be powered by a Mobile Solar Power Station that has been provided by Akeena Solar for the purpose of public education and the promotion of solar photovoltaic power.

Off-grid trees

Sticking with solar power, UK lighting manufacturer Brillianz has used LEDs to build an off-grid Christmas tree. In partnership with Plantscape - providers of urban decorative planters – Brillianz has developed an LED decorative lighting set powered by a small solar panel and battery. The systems complete with artificial tree and base, will grace the lampposts of towns across the UK.

The concept of the “wireless Christmas tree” was conceived by Mark Stone, the MD of Plantscape—as a winter enhancement to the company’s summer trade in decorative urban planters and street furniture. Plantscape came to Brillianz to develop a solution allowing them to provide a decorative lit tree which would operate throughout the festive season with no external power connection.

The units consist of two “half trees” that are attached around a lamp-post. The 60 LED lights use only one tenth of the electricity that conventional bulbs would consume, and are powered by a small solar panel sitting on top of the tree like a star.