Solar Light Design Project

The idea behind this project is to provide portable, reliable, safe and renewable light to developing and substance level communities. The lights can be pre-built or, with proper tools, built with a community to teach the basics of solar light.

The first set of lights was designed in collaboration with a group of Juniors at Lick-Wilmerding High School (pictures top and left). The light uses a single 1 watt LED and can provide about 15 to 20 minutes of very bright light per hour of charge. The unit can be carried as a necklace or hung from a wall or tree. In the summer of 2008, 33 of these lights where built and delivered to communities in Ethiopia and Senegal (See above and right).

The second design (pictures below) is a smaller, less expensive design. This is a handheld light that uses 3 superbright white LEDs, 3 AAA batteries, and a small solar panel. My wife and I took the parts to build 30 of these small lights in a village called Gara Dima in Ethiopia.

The third design, a combination of the first two designs, uses a small light box with a one watt LED and a removable PV panel. This design also features a flashing LED indicating sufficient sun for charging. It has the advange of being small but because of the larger panel can charge more quickly than the other small design. In the fall of 2009, 21 of these lights (created with the help of Lick-Wilmerding students) were donated to Gara Dima in Ethiopia with the help of The World Family.

Field Test Summer 09:On my most recent visit to Keur Sadaro in Senegal, I was able to witness the first generation lights, donated one year earlier, still working. Though the exterior of the lights were showing wear, they were charging well and producing great light. A few community members commented on the brightness and usefulness of the lights.

This is an ongoing project. If you would like more information or would like to DONATE to the project please email me : femur@extrasleepy.com. Also, view the other projects.