You knows those solar garden lights everyone in your neighborhood has? Sure, they're helpful to some degree, but the light that gets produced by those products is generally pretty dim and doesn't last too long. I've known frustrated folks who have bought them, received dismal results, and then thrown them away in favor of conventional wired brands. One step forward, two steps back.

While the technology has improved, it hasn't taken much for architects to avoid such technology in urban and housing planning. This past Saturday, however, at the Sullivan Renaissance Conference and Expo, companies SolarOne and Hadco unveiled a street lamp that just might have "curb" appeal.

The new light incorporates solar technology and LED lighting in a fixture that is reminiscent of 19th century gas lamps. On either side of the lamp post are solar "flags" that assist in outputting almost 2400 lumens at night. Now that's a light! The 90-watt panels will work anywhere in the continental U.S. and provide power for up to 50,000 hours of lamp life.

The 2400 lumen variety of this light will probably come in at close to $8K, so lamps of this power will be completely out of reach for most of us. Regardless, it would be great to see more solar powered additions popping up in towns, villages, and cities across the U.S. It's only a matter of time before they're in your gardens too. Now about that issue of light pollution….

Hit the jump for more: New Solar Lamp Hits The Streets

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