SONNENGLAS®

The SONNENGLAS® was developed in South Africa to provide people without access to power with a safe and clean alternative to the widespread kerosene lamps that have repeatedly caused fires. This sunlight in a jar is still produced in the in Johannesburg, where now over 65 people work under fair conditions. Their beautiful and useful product has been used and appreciated since 2013 also outside of South Africa.

The glass body is made of recycled glass, it comes in two sizes. In the top of the lid, the solar panel is integrated, which is no longer visible under the scratch-resistant special coating. The lid contains the rechargeable lithium polymer battery and the LEDs with warm white (3500 Kelvin) light. In cloudless mid-summer midday sunshine in Central Europe (> 90,000 lux), one hour of charge lasts for about 2 hours of light when the glass is outside - if it stands behind a glass pane (~ 45,000 lux) under the same conditions, one hour of charge is sufficient only for about an hour of light. With clouds and in other seasons, the charging time is further extended.

Alternatively, the battery can be charged with power from the wall outlet or a computer. For this purpose, a dust-protected micro USB port is mounted in the lid. With this charging method, a charge status display indicates the battery charge and there is the option of fast charging (fast charging function); an overload is not possible. After 90 minutes of charging at the socket, a lighting period of 10 hours is achieved, after a few minutes of charging a lighting duration of over one hour. The light is switched on by the magnetic switch attached to the metal bracket, which must be placed in a marked position on the top of the cover.

A special feature is the intelligent day / night automatic which controls the light when switched on by a sensor: after at least 5 seconds darkness (<2000 lux) it is switched on, after at least 10 minutes of brightness (> 3000 lux) it is switched off. This will save energy for the next darkness.

By separating the lid from the other components, the SONNENGLAS® is easy to repair because the glass and metal components are almost indestructible under normal conditions. The manufacturer offers an extension of the one-year warranty, during which all technical components are replaced. On the other hand, there is the upgrade service which is intended for discontinued electronics or technical upgrades and offers the customer to return the old solar module and receive an upgrade module. The return will be rewarded with a voucher, which can be redeemed for a new solar module, which is guaranteed again. These services are valid after registration of the serial number; more information is available from the manufacturer.

This information applies to both SONNENGLAS® sizes, but the differences should be mentioned below:
Classic has a volume of 1000 ml, the dimensions are 11.5 x 11.5 x 17.5 cm. The lid has 4 LEDs that emit 15 to 30 lumens of light. When fully charged, the light shines for at least 24 hours.
Mini has a capacity of 250 ml, the dimensions are 8.5 x 8.5 x 11 cm. The lid has 3 LEDs that emit a light of 12 - 25 lumens. When fully charged, the light emits at least 20 hours.

More information can be found directly at SONNENGLAS®