Solomon Perkins

Hey folks, I finally got the “Power of the sun in the palm of my hands”. Well, maybe not all of its power but still the feeling I got after owning these amazing flashlights is quite powerful - I’m still powered up. Please pardon me as I won’t be giving a 101 session on solar-renewable energy. In this post I’ll be sharing with you a simple yet fascinating story as to how I manage to get my hands on a few of them. Shall we begin?

Enlighten Your Darkness

I agree that there are much more important things to discuss in the world, but at this moment in time I rather shed some light on this product and it’s usefulness. Yes, it feels like a flashlight, looks like a flashlight and yes it is a flashlight.

But you’ve never seen a flashlight light this before. Don’t believe me? Here are a some details:

• It is renewable ie. runs of solar-powered rechargeable batteries.
• Water resistant, drop resistant and extremely durable.
• Power usage at about 6hrs after full charge.
• Holds up to 90% charge for about 10 years - yes you heard right.
• Lighting contains 120 lumens and shines up to 300 feet.
• Weighs 7 ounces.

By extension, this is a product created by an American company called Hybridlight owned and operated by some folks who seems obsessed with outdoors, renewable energy, and gadgets. The first time I saw the flashlight, I was immediately blown away by its practicality and robustness. I’ll spear you my on initial reactions to the product, but in short, instantly I knew I wanted one .

Arizona Bushman wrote an excellent product review.

Here is an arial view, showcasing the solar panel and as you can see it is currently charging (red light close to the button)

Why You May Need It?

Apart from the warnings sent by the MET office during the hurricane seasons; advising families to stock up on tin foods, water, batteries, flashlight etc, most folks don’t have a need for a flashlight. But I see this as must have for folks living in rural areas, especially farmers.

First reason, JPS: We’re all too familiar with JPS regular powercuts. During normal weather conditions, urban areas often have their power reinstated no more than a day after it goes out. However, in the rural area - “Dog nawm yuh suppah” - as power goes out for days. This affects people’s livelihood in so many ways. I even remember a few instances where my neighbour had to dispose of all her unfrozen items.

Farmers are the next reason: It has been said that a farmer’s job is never done. Maybe this is true, as even in the nights they sometimes have to tend to their cattle or crops during an emergency. I remember my daddy hauling me out of bed to go and check on the goats. Moments like these highlights the need for a light source that is much more powerful than a small-banger phone (owned by most farmers).

Why I Need It?

I went through all the trouble stating the benefits of this product not because I’m a huge fan of solar, but because my dad would find this tool very useful, now let me explain why. My dad likes to visit the shop at nights to play dominoes and lime with his friends. The road he takes doesn’t have proper lighting and as such he uses the light from his banger-phone to guide him. Of all the years I’ve been there I haven’t thought about this problem until I started working in the city. Just the mere thought of him travelling on that dark road without proper lighting scares me. That forced me to find a solution to this problem and since I’m all in on renewable energy this is the perfect product. To sweeten the deal, he doesn’t have to think about buying batteries - #savings. Having the power of the sun in your hands sounds pretty exciting and powerful - Yes it is.

How I Got Buzz on this Product

I first saw this product in early December 2016, when I visited Solar Buzz to view their well-advertised solar-home package. Even though their business model doesn’t cater to “small fries”, like myself, I saw the flashlight and dammmnnn! I wanted it. I offer to purchase a few but I got the run-around, yes you guessed it I was a “small fry” - lights were sold only to retailers. December passed and my dad didn’t get any thank you gift, so I went to a few retailers who had purchased the product from Solar Buzz. Low and behold, one of the retailers added over 150% markup on the item, resulting in a huge jump from $3,500 at Solar Buzz to $7,500 at location Y.

I was actually hurt by that high price tag, so that day I went to work and complained. Few of my co-wokers heard me mumbling and they listened attentively - thanks guys! A few minutes later I turned my frown upside down by going online and seeing the same exact product for less than 10USD (JMD $1,280) - Action speaks louder than words. So I picked them up, this week with all smiles on my face. Of course I spread the good news to my co-workers and boy they were happy!

Show Appreciation and Giving Thanks

Gifts which originates from the heart will have great value to the both parties as it often creates a sense of fulfilment. As it relates to my father, I will go the extra mile in ensuring that he is comfortable and I firmly believe that this gift will help in doing just that.

So I would like to say thanks to:

• Solar Buzz for showing me this product
• HybridLight for “giving me the power of the sun in the palm of my hands”
• Amazon and other companies …
• my coworkers who listened.