SunMaster’s solar controller uses a photocell and/or timer to control when the light will turn on, when the sun goes down, and to turn off when the sun comes up. The photocell detects when the sun comes down and when the sun comes up again. SunMaster can make the lamp last anywhere from 8-14 hours, and this varies on the customer’s needs.
The solar controller utilizes an internal timer that is pre-set for a specific number of hours to determine when to switch the light off. If the solar controller is set to leave the light on until dawn, it determines when the sun rise (and when to switch the light off) by means of voltage readings from the solar panel array.