Do Fluorescent Lights Charge Solar Panels

You can charge a solar panel with a light bulb yes.

Do fluorescent lights charge solar panels.

Let s analyze some of these facts in order to give you a good reference of the impact of artificial light on solar power performance. That light can charge solar lights and solar panels because the solar cells are extremely sensitive to light. Because artificial sources of light such as incandescent and fluorescent bulbs mimic the sun s spectrum solar cells can also work indoors powering small devices such as calculators and watches. Solar panels are truly amazing things they will turn almost any reasonable light in to electricity depending on how intense the light as to how much electricity they produce.

This is the best way to charge solar lights when you don t have access to indoor lighting such as when you re camping. Charge your solar panels for at least 10 12 hours if you re using an led light to do so. Solar cells generally work well with natural sunlight as most uses for solar powered devices are outdoors or in space. Battery operated led lights like led flashlights are also able to charge solar lights.

But under fluorescent or mercury vapour street lights they will not i repeat not produce enough current to charge batteries light up lights or anything else. It is true that solar panels need light before they can charge but as you might have guessed it is not necessary for the light to be from the sun. The energy output of the solar panel will also vary depending on the type of bulb the type of light warm or cold intensity and the wavelength of the artificial light. The design of the solar panel receptor is in such a way that they can detect even the slightest wavelength of light.

Short wavelength high frequency violet and uv photons carry more energy than long wavelengths. Although charging won t be as fast or efficient as on a sunny day solar lights will still be able to harvest energy from the light of the sun. Charge with indirect sunlight. The energy available to be converted by photovoltaic cells is dependent on the spectrum.

Even on a cloudy day the rays of the sun penetrate the clouds and illuminate the earth casting light. It will also take much longer to charge a solar panel with a light bulb than with natural sunlight. Fluorescent lights are built and tuned to have almost entirely visible light output any energy that goes into radiation you can t see is effectively wasted.