Solar LED light bulb is meant to replace kerosene lamps as a lighting source where many people burn fossil fuels for light, which can be dangerous and expensive.

The N100 solar bulb, LED lighting is energy efficient, with a long life, is about the size of a standard incandescent bulb and has four small solar panels housed in a waterproof case. It do not requires any external power source, no maintenance for up to five years, is very easy to install and is suitable for use in remote locations away from the power grid. Five LEDs and a replaceable NiMH battery inside provide up to four hours of light when the device is fully charged. People hang it outside during the day and then turn it on at night.   Carmanah Technologies, Canadian manufacturer of these lights, has more than 250,000 installations in 110 countries and has supplied the lighting for the Khawr ‘Abd Allah Waterway in Iraq and the Bagram airfield in Afghanistan.

The LEDs are meant to last 50,000 to 100,000 hours, and the solar power panels are rated to last 10 years. The life of the N100 is basically 5 to 10 years, according to Nokero representative Tom Boyd.

The lights consists of light emitting diodes, a solar photovoltaic system, and battery all housed in a durable, waterproof polycarbonate case.  They will survive extended exposure to the environment, extreme swings in ambient temperature from -40°F to 176°F (-40°C to +80°C), shock, heavy vibration and UV degradation.

They use three key technologies:
LEDs – At the heart of Light Emitting Diode (LED) light is the silicon “chip” about the size of a grain of salt and a special blend of crystals. When a small electrical current passes through the chip, it produces light. Unlike incandescent bulbs or even fluorescent lamps, almost all the energy used to change the LED light instead of heat. Today, LEDs are available in white, yellow, red, green and blue output colors. Shape of the LED package focuses on the light without any extra components, the LED lifetime is about 100,000 hours and the LEDs are very durable.

Photovoltaics – Monocrystalline solar panel technology is the basis for solar power. Originally designed for the U.S. Army, this technique has been tested in extreme environmental conditions, and is more efficient (up to 14%) than polycrystalline or amorphous (6-7%) solar panel technology. Carmanah manufactures products for the solar panel fully encapsulated in a patented polymer dome design, which collects the light in all directions and keep the birds off the panels.

 
Energy storage – Carmanah has decided to use lead-acid technology, in particular, pure lead-tin acid electrochemistry using a patented starved electrolyte because it takes temperatures of -85 to 176 F, it prevents corrosion and acid vapor venting, they offer a long shelf life – up to 2 years , trickle charging batteries will last much better than NiCd or NiMH, and they have a much longer service life, the NiCd or NiMH batteries

In the developed world, solar lamp could also be used in areas without electricity due to natural disasters, as well as campgrounds and the home terraces.