MAR 05

One of the more interesting green design stories I heard while attending the Greener Gadgets Conference last week was from the founder of SunNight Solar, Mark Bent. His company makes the SunLight solar-powered flashlight, which they market in the U.S. as an emergency light, but in Africa, it serves a much greater purpose.

Bent sat on a panel called "Green Design for Good" and that really sums up what his flashlight is all about. While you and I probably take for granted the amount of things we accomplish once the sun goes down, aided by electric light, the parts of Africa where Bent distributes his flashlights still rely on kerosene lanterns, but the kerosene is expensive and not always available. His flashlight allows farmers to work and children to read or study after sunset, which they couldn't do before. The light also offers protection to women in refugee camps where sexual violence often happens after dark when the women can't identify their attackers.

Bent designed the flashlight to resemble the lanterns the users were accustomed to with three settings - the brightest able to illuminate an entire room. One side is covered in solar cells and the power is stored in batteries. The lights are LEDs so that they last as long as possible without needing replacement. The entire light is constructed to be tough and tested by scientists to withstand harsh conditions so that when they're left with a group of people in an isolated area, no one worries about them breaking anytime soon.

So while to us, a solar-powered flashlight seems like a great eco-friendly option for when the power goes out or we get a flat tire, Bent's target demographic in Africa see it as a way to a better life everyday. It's refreshing to hear every once in a while that designing things in a sustainable way can have just as great of a human benefit as an environmental one.

Comments (9)

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written by John, March 05, 2009

hmm seems the linky is not working right? i know i can just google them but still...

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it actually works
written by Rojelio, March 06, 2009

Yes, everybody should have a solar flashlight equipped with LEDs. The one I got at Costco really works. The green gadgets that I have purchased in the past have often turned out to be junk (e.g. solar lights for my yard), but the flashlight is cool.

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Solar Energy
written by Solar Power, March 06, 2009

This information is very good, Solar is very useful for environment,Solar energy is a renewable energy. I also decided and developed a web page for solar called "SOLAR ENERGY AND SOLAR POWER"

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Solar Battery Switching
written by gmoke, March 06, 2009

I use one of these flashlights as part of my solar reading light system in my bedroom which is essentially off-grid. The design is superlative and the new edition seems to be even better. The fact that standard size AA batteries are used in this system makes it possible to power more than a single flashlight with the solar panel. By keeping two or more sets of batteries cycling through the solar charger, you can power other devices like a radio or a cell phone as well as the light. Charge one set of batteries while using another. Then switch.

The addition of a small hand-cranked or pedal-powered generator would increase the capacity and the utility of such battery switching systems. Solar plus a small generator means a reliable source of low voltage DC electricity day or night by sunlight or muscle power.

I've emailed Mark Bent a couple of times about these ideas. Maybe someday he'll even respond.

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gutter journalism
written by gutter snipe, March 06, 2009

"The light also offers protection to women in refugee camps where sexual violence often happens after dark when the women can't identify their attackers."

is your readership slipping so low that your have to repeat this gutter journalism from the propaganda media?

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:)
written by t, March 06, 2009

Great. Now they can read the bible there!

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written by MD, March 06, 2009

We love our hand crank LED flashlights... The kids love them too!

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wind up
written by wind up, March 07, 2009

Wind-up Flashlight/Charger w/Adapters (AM-219)

Wind-up flashlight with two powerful white LED lights, built-in rechargeable batteries, and cell phone adapter set that works with Blackberry, Nokia, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, LG and Samsung (not all models are compatible). Also comes with a cigarette adapter. Gift boxed. The Applied Materials logo is imprinted in black.

Note: Blackberry not included!


Pricing:
1 or more$13.25 ea.

https://www.costore.com/amat/productenlarged.asp?ProductID=1049094

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Unnatural Light
written by Uncle B, May 28, 2009

Darkest Africa needs to be left to its own natural turmoil. They will evolve to perhaps something even better than fission fire lighting, world destruction causing, polluting, sick, cannibalizing, warring, environment destroyers like us. Facilitating staying up nights, studying, is the planting of our cancer in their souls, and not our job, and certainly not G ds wishes, but notions we would like to believe! Our children cannot have a normal nights sleep, they are not rythemed in sync with the natural flow, their lives are sickened with stresses for survival, they are convinced death and hardship are unnatural and to be feared, suffered. We have perverted our portion of humanity into an unsustainable, unregulated, anxious, trap of over-consumption and environmental abuse! To think of ourselves as "enlightened" or "superior" in any way is a supreme egomaniac stand, and part of our sickness itself! Yes, we can do some small good, no we do not have all the answers, yes we can do great harm to a natural system we hardly understand ourselves.

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