Many hands make light work
According to UN statistics, one and a half billion people, especially in Asia and Africa, depend on, at best on kerosene, and at worst, on wood or charcoal, for lighting. Candle smoke is often toxic and over a million people a year die in fires caused by kerosene lamps. They also contribute heavily to greenhouse gases, representing the biggest single source of emissions in these developing countries.Kerosene combustion accounts for more than 100 million tonnes of CO2 each year. Hence why simple, ingenious, high-tech and always low-cost projects are thriving around the world to halt fuel poverty in developing countries. Some of these life-changing and bright ideas are spotlighted here.
Nokero: clean, low-cost l
Enabling off-grid homes to enjoy the same quality of life by replacing every kerosene lamp with a clean, safe one that gives enough light - that is what the Nokero sustainable enterprise network is all about.
Nokero, short for No Kerosene, was founded in 2010 by the American Steve Katsaros, engineer and inventor of the Solar light bulb, a small, robust, strong, simple and effective light-bulb operating on a solar-powered rechargeable battery. The bulb, or rather pseudo-bulb, can withstand extreme conditions. Made of polycarbonate, it is designed to hold up under the impact of rain and to withstand temperatures of up to 60°. Its useful life is estimated at five to ten years. It can give six hours of light after a full charge.
Leaving the gloom of poverty behind;
Launched on the market in June 2012, 400,000 Nokero bulbs have so far been sold in 120 countries, changing the daily lives of thousands of families. Not only are these lamps safe and clean but they also save these poorest of consumers the 30% of their income usually spent on buying candles or kerosene.
That is the core concept of Steve Katseros’ social enterprise: a simple, cheap tool that anyone can afford, enabling every child to read and study after nightfall.
A Nokero bulb currently costs $15, but Nokero is hoping to bring the price down to $6 through large-scale manufacture for various governmental and non-governmental organisations.
The lamps were also distributed in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, and at several refugee camps, particularly in Pakistan. That said, Nokero bulbs are also ideal for home garden use, and camping or hiking trips. For every €13.50 Nokero lamp bought, €2 is donated to fund operations to buy lamps for the most needy.
LuminAID: full beam on disaster areas
The 2010 earthquake in Haiti brought home, to two young recent architecture graduates from New York’s Columbia University, the urgent need to do something about the lack of electricity and lighting.
While NGOs, doctors, engineers, and others of good intent volunteered their assistance to help Haitians rebuild their homes and country, it soon became clear to them that the lack of lighting was mostly being ignored .Even before the earthquake, 80% of Haitian homes had no electric lights. Tents and makeshift shelters were plunged into darkness, creating insecurity especially for women and children.
With virtually nothing in the way of a national grid in Haiti, they quite naturally looked to the sun for a solution.
Solar cushions
The idea, like the product itself, could not be simpler: LuminAID is a small cushion-sized inflatable plastic bag containing a flexible photovoltaic film sandwiched between two water-resistant protective layers of plastic (EVA). Once inflated, it can even float. The "cushion" has a two-position switch, high and low, which can be disabled. Depending on the amount of sunlight, the battery can be fully recharged in two to three hours. LuminAID can provide about six hours’ light in the low position, and about four hours in the high position. The battery can be recharged about 800 times, giving it a life of two to three years in daily use.
Give a cushion, get a cushion
With the product invented and tested, the question of financing still remained ... at present, LuminAID is distributed through the IndieGoGo global funding website where funds can be raised by offering crowdsourcing benefits or tax deductions. To date, the campaign has raised more than $50,000 based on a cushion donated to front-line NGOs for every cushion bought. LuminAID’s two inventors are now exploring other markets, like recreation including camping. Most importantly, though, they would like all people living without electricity to benefit from LuminAID, but through a social partnership system. For now, they are working with organisations in Rajasthan, India, where half of all households have no electricity. The small solar cushions will be used in schools, homes and small businesses
Little Sun: a solidarity project
Take a talented artist, an inspired engineer, and a worthy environmental cause...and you come up with a fascinating initiative, an innovative project working for those who slip through the development net.
The project is called Little Sun: a small, robust and sustainably-designed solar-powered lamp in the form of…well, a little sun! It is made of Luran S, a highly UV- and weather-resistant plastic. It works with a 6 cm x 6 cm single cell, mono-crystalline solar module that when charged for four hours in sunlight will give five hours of illumination and can provide a practical, affordable and safe source of artificial light for the 1.6 billion or so people who live without electricity.
Presented by its creators as functional but with spiritual potential, this natural solar-powered lamp can pride itself on really enabling communities, in less developed countries, to enjoy cooking, eating together, reading and writing.
Bringing light to millions
An enabler of sharing, socialising and economic opportunities, Little Sun’s big plus point is to replace oil by slashing almost 90% off a developing country family’s electricity bill while providing ten times more powerful illumination!
The artist is currently focusing on the African market where the Little Sun project is being channelled through a distribution network of local entrepreneurs in Ethiopia, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Nigeria. The next step is to break into the Asian market, especially India, one of the world's most dynamic, small business-friendly markets, especially in rural areas, where there is a crying need.
Little Sun is hoping to win over 500,000 partners, distributors and users in 2013 and nothing less than 50 million by 2020..
