The Situation
Worldwide, more than 1.5 billion people lack access to electricity. The majority of these people live in rural areas of the developing world and rely on dim, dirty, fuel-based lanterns for light after sundown. Many also own small electronics, such as mobile phones, but have limited ways to power them, often walking miles to the nearest town for a single charge. These “base of the pyramid” households may spend up to 30% of their income on expensive disposable batteries and low-quality, dangerous kerosene fuel to meet their energy needs. Each night, children and adults inhale toxic kerosene fumes that are equivalent to smoking an average of two packs of cigarettes, and children struggle to study by dim lantern light.
These families need a way to cleanly and affordably light their homes and power their small electronic devices.
