Can you charge solar lights with a lamp? Solar lights generally cannot be effectively charged with ordinary lighting fixtures. This article takes incandescent bulbs as an example for detailed explanation:
I. From the perspective of energy conversion
1.Charging principle of solar lamps – The core component of solar lamps is the solar panel, which operates based on the photoelectric effect. Solar panels can absorb photons and convert light energy into electrical energy. After absorbing photons, the semiconductor material inside generates electron hole pairs, which move in a directional manner under the action of an electric field, forming an electric current to charge the battery- Solar panels have a specific response range to the wavelength of light (i.e. the energy corresponding to the color of light). Generally speaking, solar panels respond well to visible and near-infrared light in sunlight, as the energy of this light matches the bandgap energy of the semiconductor material in the solar panel, effectively exciting electron hole pairs.
2. The principle and spectral characteristics of incandescent lamps. Incandescent lamps emit light by heating the filament (usually tungsten wire) to a high temperature with an electric current. The spectrum of light it emits is a continuous spectrum, including infrared, visible light, and a small amount of ultraviolet light- However, the majority of the light emitted by incandescent bulbs is infrared radiation, which cannot be effectively utilized by solar panels because the photon energy of infrared radiation is low and cannot excite electron hole pairs in solar panels to generate current. Although visible light can be partially absorbed by solar panels, its proportion in the total luminous energy is relatively small, and its intensity is much weaker than that of sunlight, so the efficiency of converting it into electrical energy is extremely low.
II. From the perspective of power and efficiency in practical applications
1.Power Comparison – Sunlight is a very powerful natural light source. On sunny days, the intensity of sunlight received on the ground can reach around 1000 watts per square meter. The area of solar panels is usually designed based on their ability to charge effectively under sunlight- The power of incandescent lamps is generally relatively small, for example, the power of common household incandescent lamps is between 15-100 watts. Moreover, not all of this power is converted into visible light power that can be absorbed by solar panels. Even if all the light from incandescent bulbs is directed onto the solar panel, its power density is very low compared to sunlight.
2.Charging efficiency issue – Due to the significant difference in spectral characteristics between incandescent bulbs and sunlight, as well as the low power density, the charging efficiency of solar panels under incandescent bulbs is extremely low. For example, assuming the charging efficiency of a solar panel under sunlight is 15% -20%, it may be less than 1% or even lower under incandescent lamps, making it almost impossible to achieve effective charging of the solar lamp’s battery.
III. From the perspective of device compatibility
Differences in voltage and current characteristics – Solar panels have specific voltage and current output characteristics under sunlight. It will output different voltages and currents based on factors such as light intensity and panel temperature, and its charging control circuit is also designed based on these characteristics- The output voltage of incandescent lamps is fixed (determined by the mains voltage), and its current size depends on the power of the bulb. When using incandescent bulbs to charge solar lamps, the output voltage and current do not match the characteristics of the solar panel during normal operation, which may cause the charging control circuit of the solar lamp to malfunction and even damage the charging control circuit. So, although theoretically some of the light emitted by incandescent bulbs can be absorbed by solar panels, in reality, solar bulbs are difficult to charge with incandescent bulbs due to extremely low energy conversion efficiency, insufficient power, and incompatible equipment.
IV. Conclusion:
Can you charge solar lights with a lamp?
Although incandescent bulbs can theoretically charge solar lamps, their actual charging efficiency is very low and they have almost no practicality.
Nowadays, many solar lights are equipped with USB ports, so you only need to connect with a USB cable to charge the solar lights through a portable power bank or laptop.