The Nantucket Post Cap Co. has introduced what it says is the only wood post cap on the market that incorporates a solar cell.
The Bar Harbor Solar Light is made from kiln-dried, vertical grain western red cedar or redwood. A solar cell incorporated into the cap’s flat top powers two nickel-cadmium batteries that operate four LED bulbs, one at each corner. The downward-pointing lights will burn for between eight and 10 hours during the summer and from four to six hours during the winter after the batteries have been charged by the solar cell.
The AA batteries are rated for 1,000 charging cycles, the equivalent of about three years, before they have to be replaced.
Caps are available in a number of sizes, in 1⁄4-inch increments, to fit posts from a standard 31⁄2-inch square up to a 6-inch square. The caps come unfinished and can be stained or painted.
Depending on their size, caps sell for about $50 to $65 each. The same style can be purchased without the solar cell.
The company is a Vermont-based manufacturer and wholesaler of furniture and accessories made from cedar and redwood. Products include finials, arbors, benches, planter boxes, gates, and pergolas in addition to its line of post caps. Wood species other than cedar and redwood also are available.
Nantucket Post Cap, 888/758-7678, nantucketpostcap.com.
