Solar lantern manufacture. Technician assembling a solar lantern. The lantern (bulb at centre) is powered by solar panels (right) that absorb energy from sunlight and store it in photovoltaic cells for later use. A full day's charge gives light for up to seven hours. This lantern is made by Kotak Urja, a company based in Bangalore, India. Their lanterns are widely used in rural India, in areas where electricity is unavailable, expensive or unreliable. Solar power is a renewable and environmentally friendly source of electricity.