Published by Joe Gillach under Green Living

Long ago, in a brief burst of self-improvement, I took myself to see a local production of The Mikado, Gilbert and Sullivan’s operetta about a 19^th Century American Sailor who travels to Japan and falls in love with a Japanese woman. The only thing I remember about the experience, other than my subsequent pledge to make it my last such cultural polishing-up, was the stage set — which was beautifully lit with hundreds of glowing shoji lanterns.

I have thought about those fanciful lanterns often, especially because of my dream to light the half-dozen oak trees in my garden. But the estimate for running electricity throughout the yard was exorbitant, and candle-lit lanterns seemed impractical: too much potential for generating a fire insurance claim.

A year ago I finally stumbled upon a solution: the solar shoji lantern. I immediately bought one and have been test-driving it for some six months with largely positive results.

It is generally acknowledged that esthetics is the low end of solar technology in its present state of development. The marriage of solar and consumer products often begets devices that look like a cross between a turtle and a cat.

But occasionally a beauty appears to light the way, as it were; case in point: my solar lantern. It is powered by a small and discreetly designed solar panel that sits on top of the light source — which itself is covered in durable nylon that remarkably resembles rice paper.

For the decorator-minded, it even comes in three colors: white, orange and apple green. Mine (I chose white because I am a “vanilla” kind of guy) was quick and easy to assemble, even for a three-thumbed unhandyman such as myself. I hung it off my rear deck railing, stepped back and waited to see what would happen.

Nothing happened. That was a mite disappointing, but the next evening, after a day’s exposure to the sun, the shoji lantern sputtered to life just like the Mars Rover, with a warm and delightful glow. Since that time, my 8-year-old and I check most evenings to see if it continues to work. We are delighted each night anew.

Happy though I have been with the shoji lantern, nothing is perfect — especially given that we are in the toddler phase of solar technology. The light emitted by the device is atmospheric at best, sufficient to add ambience to a backyard but in the way of accent, not of a searchlight. Don’t expect to read Harry Potter by its glare.

The manufacturer claims it operates for 6-8 hours with a full charge, but mine has glimmered for more like 3-6 hours at a go — though that is plenty long for us. It occasionally “rests,” as my daughter terms it, it after a string of cloudy days. And, possibly unique to the microhabitat of our back yard, it seems to attract squirrels that occasionally hurl themselves at it in what would seem to be a mating ritual: hilarious for us to watch, frustrating for our amorous rodent neighbors.

Ultimately, happiness arises where expectation meets reality. My solar shoji hits the mark—relative to the tag for installing electric lights in my backyard, the cost of the lantern was a pittance. And given the solar industry’s current state of evolving capability, the shoji’s light-giving functionality is more than adequate. Esthetics and utility dance to a delicate music, in this.

In months and years to come, more powerful solar-powered consumer products will emerge, and in the meantime, the squirrels and my daughter and I will enjoy our opera- inspired illumination.

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