This last week, home and Swedish meatball store Ikea launched some new solar products for the new year. Meet the new Solig line of Ikea lighting – there is a table lamp, a floor lamp, this crazy light tube thing, and some garden-ball-esque lights for your – whatever:
You know, a long time ago (the summer before last) I bought one of Ikea's Solig table lamp bubble things with big hopes in mind – it was solar, battery power storage, auto-light-sensing, and it came apart very easily. However, after about two weeks of use, it epic failed and stopped holding a charge. I think it was ten bucks, which isn't a fortune, but for something that is in the sustainable category it was a major, major disappointment.
I hope this stuff is better. After all, Ikea gear is designed by people who are told to design something for a pricepoint of manufacture, not for any goal of sustainability or lasting. Have you ever tried to fix or repair something Ikea that broke?
Here's a pic of my old Solig lamp – the base and the half-globe together, and then a detail shot of the LED cluster and PV panel:
Below are pictures of the new line – I just hope they're more reliable than the old line.
Thanks, Inhabitat!