More than a quarter of the world’s population burns fossil fuels for light, resulting in about 190 million tons of CO2 being emitted into the air each year. A small company – Nokero – has developed a solar light bulb that promises to reduce those emissions as rural and remote areas of the world adopt this technology.
Nokero N100 bulbs contain their own solar cells and rechargeable batteries that power four LED lights. With the charge from one day in the sun, they run for two to four hours, providing a clean replacement for smoky kerosene lamps used throughout the world.
This was invented by Steve Katsaros, starting with the solar-powered light bulb he designed in January 2010, he has made it his business to address the lack of electricity in countries throughout the world.
Nokero went to the Aid and International Development Forum in Washington, D.C., to introduce four new solar-powered products: phone and AA battery chargers; a device that provides backup power for individual light sockets when the power grid goes down; and a rechargeable flashlight that attaches to the window with a suction cup.
A fifth product—Business in a Box—is designed for individual salesmen in developing countries, with 144 N200 solar light bulbs and everything a vendor needs to start selling.
Steve Katsaros has dubbed his company Nokero — short for “No Kerosene” — and set out to get his bulbs into as many hands a possible in the developing world.
Nokero has already partnered with Project C.U.R.E., which includes one bulb in each of its home health care kits for young families in developing countries, and Katsaros would like to get bulbs into the hands of every Peace Corps volunteer who leaves the country.
Katsaros, who received inspiration for his business model from Paul Polak’s 2008 book “Out of Poverty,” is not alone when it comes to favoring the social entrepreneurship model over that of a traditional charity. In the global fight against famine, organizations such as the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) are adopting the same principle.
for more details visit: http://www.nokero.com/