A long table outside at night, glowing Sonnenglas lanterns hanging above the guests

I — The evening

When it gets dark, it starts work

A table outside, a few friends, no cable. The light has stood in the sun all day.

Warm white, 3000 kelvin. Bright enough to read by, beautiful enough to give away.

Watch the film · 1:23

A woman holds a glowing Sonnenglas in both hands against the dark evening
A musician sings with her guitar outside, Sonnenglas lanterns on the ground give the light

II — The sun

A day of sun. An evening of light.

In the lid sits SOMO: solar cell, battery and light in one module. By day it charges in the sun, or over USB-C. At dusk the day/night sensor switches it on.

The world’s first solar light to meet the requirements of the Blue Angel.

  • 100 lumens
  • 3000K warm white
  • up to 28 hours on medium
A Sonnenglas stands on a log by a lake during the day, charging in the sun
A hand holds two glowing Sonnenglas lanterns up against the dusk sky
Two hands soldering components onto a circuit board

III — The workshop

Made by hand. In Johannesburg.

Every Sonnenglas is built in our Fair-Trade-certified factory at Victoria Yards. People have steady, fairly paid jobs here — in a region where youth unemployment runs above 60 percent.

The glass is real recycled glass, the lid and handle are stainless steel, made by hand. The factory runs almost entirely on solar power. 100 percent of profits are reinvested.

The whole story 

Colleagues assemble solar modules at long tables in our Johannesburg workshop
A colleague smiles while soldering a stack of circuit boards

IV — Outside

No socket for miles

On the jetty, in the tent, on the balcony. The light comes along — and charges in the sun again the next day.

Light for outdoors 

Someone sits on a jetty by the lake at dusk, two Sonnenglas lanterns glowing beside them
An orange tent glowing by the lake at dusk, a Sonnenglas standing in the grass in front

More than 20 international awards

Probably the most awarded solar light in the world

Red Dot 2025iF Design Award 2023German Design Award 2021Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis 2021Dezeen AwardsFast Company 2019Core77 Design AwardsIDA Design Awards 2022Golden Pin Design Award 2025Good Design Award 2024NY Product Design Awards 2024BIG SEE Product Design 2023AIDASocial Products Award 2024Green Product Award

The products

Welcome to the Solar System*

* Sonnenglas is so far approved for use in our solar system only and tested exclusively with our Sun (Sol, spectral class G2V). Interstellar travellers, please write to info@sonnenglas.net before departure with details of your host star — we will check whether it works there. Photos are very welcome, and so are invitations to the Restaurant at the End of the Universe.

Stay in the light

News from our workshop in Johannesburg — a few times a year, honest and short.

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