Monday 30 July 2007

Mmmm... solar lighting



This little puppy promises to light an area of 148 square feet (however big that is), for up to seven hours a day (though we'll be using it mainly at night), includes a bulb with a life expectancy of 3,000 hours (600 days at five hours a day), and has a warranty of 10 years. At a competitive £79.99 from the CAT shop (battery not included), it's the best kit of its kind I can find. Almost the only one.

I thought it would be bigger.

What surprised me, in my short but very specific search, is the lack of choice on the market right now. Look in the Yellow Pages under "Solar Lighting".

You won't find it.

Even in Brighton.

Call me old fashioned if you must, but I wanted a shop where I could go in, look at all the options available, talk to an informed salesperson (I know, I know), get some idea about which set-up is best for our situation, and leave feeling that I knew a little something about this Soon To Be Massive Retail Sector.

But no.

Instead, I must buy before I try. Not, to the best of my knowledge, a wildly successful marketing strategy.

If it works as well as I hope, you'll be one of the first to know.

4 comments:

Café del Nightmare said...

I don't believe it!
Has your wonderful environment saving device been packed with lots of non-biodegradeable non-recyclable über-toxic styrofoam peanuts?
Shurely shome mishtake?!?!...

the devolutionary said...

Yesh. Well shpotted that man. We had assumed that it was either potato starch or maize packaging. I ran one under the tap just now to check. It dissolved. CAT scores...

Café del Nightmare said...

OOOOH!!!! very good!!
You'll be wanting these next
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230157435426

the devolutionary said...

Damn straight. Been looking for some of those for ages. Sadly, these ones are in Oz. I'll let you know what I can find...