Utilizing LED and Solar Power at a Remote Field Site in the Holmul Region

Summary

Providing adequate lighting for subterranean work at a remote site in the Peten of Guatemala usually involves flashlights or gasoline generators and CFL lights on homemade power cords. Because of the cost of generators and the difficulty and cost of transporting fuel to the field site most tunnel work uses head lamps and flashlights. In an effort to be environmentally sensitive and to be more efficient the Holmul Archaeological Project has started using 12 volt LED light strips powered by a battery that is charged by solar panels or a generator. Battery charging by generator is still more efficient as multiple batteries can be charged by a single generator during the evening. The LED strips are far more efficient and durable than incandescent or CFL bulbs. This research covers our selection and design of the LED system and the first field season using them. Additional work was done at both field camps, Holmul and Cival, to increase the use of solar power for LED lights, to recharge computer and camera batteries and provide food refrigeration.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage