Solar Lampion
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Damian O'Sullivan Design
A SOLAR LAMPION with a twist.
Most solar lamps are of the type that you ‘plant’ in your garden. They store the sun’s energy during the day and release it in the form of light at night, which is nice. But what if we could carry this light into the house at night?
-- Introduction --
I have been surrounded by solar cells for as long as I can remember, as my father was the electrical engineer responsible for the power management on board the satellites of the
European Space Agency.
This hereditary trait must have been dormant for about 30 years, as it was only a couple of years ago that I started to tinker with the idea of making a solar lampion. What got me thinking about the subject was the following, I wondered why:
1) Most solar lamps were composed of only one LED and one solar cell…and
2) Why they were by and large all static contraptions that ended up in the back of the garden…although judging by their designs that was probably a good thing!
To answer the first question, you only need to look at the simple formula that manufacturers use:
minimise costs + maximise production = greatest profit
As a result the designs are often poor representations of what is a fantastic technology.
Furthermore, I was also not content with the manner in which these solar lamps made very little aesthetic use of the solar cells themselves. Often sitting uncomfortably on top of their plastic designs. After all they would end up in the back of the garden anyways, or so it seemed, must have been the general reasoning to attribute such little effort to their designs.
-- Brief --
With this in mind, I set myself the task to envision a solar lamp where the solar cells would become an integral and aesthetic part of the design and I would ensure that the lamp would be mobile, in order for it to be taken there wherever the light was desired.
There are some examples of mobile solar lamps out there today, but these were designed and intended for places where there is little or no electricity available. They are used by researchers and humanitarian workers all around the world and as a result, tend to be designed for their sturdiness rather than their looks.
-- Influences --
In terms of design inspiration, instead of looking towards the future, I decided to take a look at the past and found many wonderful examples of lamps that were functional, decorative and made with a love for craft.
I found examples of Moroccan lamps fashioned from metal and glass, simply crafted Amish carriage lamps and of course Chinese and Japanese paper lampions. These I found particularly inspiring for their simplicity and their enduring quality over time. They weigh next to nothing, give very nice light and have a beautiful presence about them.
-- The relationship to Buckminster Fuller --
In keeping with the Buckminster Fuller spirit, I kept the structure of the lampion light and modular. The construction, or exoskeleton as I like to call it, is built up of crowns.
Each of these die cast (plastic for the prototype, but envisioned in a light metal alloy) crowns holds 6 inclined solar cells and as the crowns are stacked on top of each other, each one undergoes a 30-degree horizontal displacement. This results in the round organic twisting shape, which when placed outside will ensure that it always catches the sun’s rays.
The total amount of solar cells in this design is 30 although this could theoretically be decreased or increased (by having more or less crowns) depending on the amount of power required. Each solar cell is coupled to one central rechargeable battery that then feeds the LED’s
The resulting Solar Lampion is, in essence, nothing more than a bunch of solar cells stuck together…nicely stuck together mind you. This makes the lamp unique, what you see is what you get; a solar lamp made of solar cells, nothing more nothing less.
A simple handle on top, allows the lamp to be easily moved from the garden into the home, or hung from a tree whilst soaking up the sun’s rays.
-- Potential problems…and how to solve them --
The biggest hurdle at the moment is financial. I have made a rough cost estimation for a production run of 50.000 pieces and it looks as follows:
Mechanical & electrical engineering 75.000
Injection mould 25.000
Injection moulding (based on 50.000 lampions) 125.000v Production of handle 10.000
Total mechanical parts: 235.000
Solar cells 750.000 (based on unit price of 0,50 per solar cell = 30 cells per lampion)
Excluding additional sourced component parts for which we do not yet know the exact costs (energy efficient LED’s, rechargeable batteries, cabling)
Assembly: 50.000
Packaging: 50.000
Man hours: 50.000
Travel budget: 10.000
Marketing: 20.000
Total cost estimation (ex solar cells & additional sourced component parts) = 415.000
Having made this estimation I realise that it is unrealistic for me to take the Solar Lampion all the way to the production stage. My aim, and winning the prize would substantially aid me in this, would be to further develop and engineer the Solar Lampion in order to be able to attract investors and/or companies so that they can see and experience the beauty and potential of this product.
-- The Solar Lampion and beyond --
As well as developing a commercially viable high-end Solar Lampion I would, at a later stage, also like to explore the following:
- Making an inexpensive version that could be used in developing countries
- Using the solar/exoskeleton principle in large scale applications (street lighting, buildings etc)
May the sun be with you!
This hereditary trait must have been dormant for about 30 years, as it was only a couple of years ago that I started to tinker with the idea of making a solar lampion. What got me thinking about the subject was the following, I wondered why:
1) Most solar lamps were composed of only one LED and one solar cell…and
2) Why they were by and large all static contraptions that ended up in the back of the garden…although judging by their designs that was probably a good thing!
To answer the first question, you only need to look at the simple formula that manufacturers use:
minimise costs + maximise production = greatest profit
As a result the designs are often poor representations of what is a fantastic technology.
Furthermore, I was also not content with the manner in which these solar lamps made very little aesthetic use of the solar cells themselves. Often sitting uncomfortably on top of their plastic designs. After all they would end up in the back of the garden anyways, or so it seemed, must have been the general reasoning to attribute such little effort to their designs.
-- Brief --
With this in mind, I set myself the task to envision a solar lamp where the solar cells would become an integral and aesthetic part of the design and I would ensure that the lamp would be mobile, in order for it to be taken there wherever the light was desired.
There are some examples of mobile solar lamps out there today, but these were designed and intended for places where there is little or no electricity available. They are used by researchers and humanitarian workers all around the world and as a result, tend to be designed for their sturdiness rather than their looks.
-- Influences --
In terms of design inspiration, instead of looking towards the future, I decided to take a look at the past and found many wonderful examples of lamps that were functional, decorative and made with a love for craft.
I found examples of Moroccan lamps fashioned from metal and glass, simply crafted Amish carriage lamps and of course Chinese and Japanese paper lampions. These I found particularly inspiring for their simplicity and their enduring quality over time. They weigh next to nothing, give very nice light and have a beautiful presence about them.
-- The relationship to Buckminster Fuller --
In keeping with the Buckminster Fuller spirit, I kept the structure of the lampion light and modular. The construction, or exoskeleton as I like to call it, is built up of crowns.
Each of these die cast (plastic for the prototype, but envisioned in a light metal alloy) crowns holds 6 inclined solar cells and as the crowns are stacked on top of each other, each one undergoes a 30-degree horizontal displacement. This results in the round organic twisting shape, which when placed outside will ensure that it always catches the sun’s rays.
The total amount of solar cells in this design is 30 although this could theoretically be decreased or increased (by having more or less crowns) depending on the amount of power required. Each solar cell is coupled to one central rechargeable battery that then feeds the LED’s
The resulting Solar Lampion is, in essence, nothing more than a bunch of solar cells stuck together…nicely stuck together mind you. This makes the lamp unique, what you see is what you get; a solar lamp made of solar cells, nothing more nothing less.
A simple handle on top, allows the lamp to be easily moved from the garden into the home, or hung from a tree whilst soaking up the sun’s rays.
-- Potential problems…and how to solve them --
The biggest hurdle at the moment is financial. I have made a rough cost estimation for a production run of 50.000 pieces and it looks as follows:
Mechanical & electrical engineering 75.000
Injection mould 25.000
Injection moulding (based on 50.000 lampions) 125.000v Production of handle 10.000
Total mechanical parts: 235.000
Solar cells 750.000 (based on unit price of 0,50 per solar cell = 30 cells per lampion)
Excluding additional sourced component parts for which we do not yet know the exact costs (energy efficient LED’s, rechargeable batteries, cabling)
Assembly: 50.000
Packaging: 50.000
Man hours: 50.000
Travel budget: 10.000
Marketing: 20.000
Total cost estimation (ex solar cells & additional sourced component parts) = 415.000
Having made this estimation I realise that it is unrealistic for me to take the Solar Lampion all the way to the production stage. My aim, and winning the prize would substantially aid me in this, would be to further develop and engineer the Solar Lampion in order to be able to attract investors and/or companies so that they can see and experience the beauty and potential of this product.
-- The Solar Lampion and beyond --
As well as developing a commercially viable high-end Solar Lampion I would, at a later stage, also like to explore the following:
- Making an inexpensive version that could be used in developing countries
- Using the solar/exoskeleton principle in large scale applications (street lighting, buildings etc)
May the sun be with you!
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Damian O'Sullivan speaking about the Solar Lampion
Submitted by willis on July 15, 2008 - 11:45.