Milliwatt: Cheap choices about energy

I have the lamest solar power system that I know of.

I have a 6W nominal solar panel hooked up to a 12V rechargeable latern. This provides me with about 6 minutes of light twice a week in perpituity while I do the compost. It is also a backup light source for if the power fails. The sealed, lead-acid battery in the lantern is continuously trickle charged during the day (even in summer, when I do not need the light), so the battery may last a long time.

Is this "sustainable"? Is this a simple, low impact choice?

I bought the panel and the lantern with a gift certificate that a relative gave me from an online retailer, so it didn't use any cash (except for an automotive 12V outlet I needed for a neat installation). I was pleasantly surprised to see these types of things at the retailer. With another certificate, I bought a watt-hour meter to audit how much power various appliances use. Perhaps I will post more on that later.


copyright 2006 by Milliwatt