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Solar Garden Light - The Rechargable Battery © 2008Rechargable batteries differ from regular batteries in that the materials that the battery is manufactured from have the ability to have the electrochemical reaction that releases the electrical energy reversed and allow them to accumulate energy when a current is applied to them. There are several types of rechargable battery on the market, but the most common ones are nickel-cadmium and nickel-metal hydride. These are availble in the most popular battery types used in eletronic devices, AA, AAA, D, and C. The batteries included with the solar garden light will normally be nickel-cadmium, usually abbreviated Ni-Cad or NiCd. These batteries will recharge and discharge around 1000 times before they need replacement. This is 1000 nights, or about 2.73 years. The batteries will recharge in 2 - 4 hours of full sunlight, more time is needed when overcast. The lights will remain lighted for 8 - 12 hours. The time they will illuminate will depend upon the amount of sunlight they received, the number of batteries the light has, and how many light bulbs are used by the light. When replacing these with other batteries, it may be possible to use nickel-metal hydride batteries, usually abbreviated NiMH. These batteries will have a higher capacity to hold a charge, thus giving longer illumination times. They also will take a charge many more times than a Ni-Cad, up to 3000 times. It is best to check with the manufacturer before using NiMh batteries, as the charger may not ba able to fully charge them. Rechargable batteries are an important part of the solar garden light. When the light starts to lose its luminosity, it is best to check the batteries first, as when the start to fail the light unit will not burn as brightly. |
