Ikea is now selling its Sunnan lamp, designed by Nicolas Cortolezzis, which is powered by 2 rechargeable AA batteries, included in the $19.99 price. It has the limitation common to consumer solar-powered lighting devices: 9-12 hours of charging on a sunny day will yield 3-4 hours at 400 – 500 lux (Ikea’s product description is ambiguous, and also says that it will then operate at 300 lux).  However, even in winter, it should provide enough light to get through a few hours’ reading or homework – but perhaps not studying for finals.

Thought of another way – thrree or four of these sitting on the most exposed windowsill all day will provide emergency lighting in several rooms. If they’re placed near mirrors – a common practice with lamps before the advent of electricity – their yield will be increased. And even the best emergency flashlight is ill-suited for reading or working.

The market – despite the absence of government encouragement for eight years – has delivered a reasonably priced emergency household light. IKEA, for its part, doesn’t even mention this use. We’d like to see them price them even lower in bundles. (The Sunnan lam is available in stores and not via the IKEA website).

And it’s ready now – no need to wait for a smart grid, or your local utility to go green, or the government to provide interest-free loans for a PV panel on your roof.

Designer Nicolas Cortolezzis received  praise for his Jerker desk (2006, $99, and beautiful) from the blog atleastonecoolthing, the Broder system from PoleShelving , and the excellent JimOnLight, who took these photographs in an IKEA store to accompany his post: