And He Said "Let There Be Light"

When looking at developing countries and the myriad of issues that face them, it often becomes a daunting task coming up with ways to benefit those in need. Many however have lived up to the task and have found the little things that make a big difference. The latest in this is a new combination of older technologies that create an inexpensive and environmentally friendlier way of bringing light where there was once darkness.

Danish researcher Frederik Krebs has combined an LED lamp along with a flexible printable solar panel to create a new form of lighting. The printed sheets would collect rays from the sun during the course of the day and at night could be curled up to look like a lamp and provide light to those who otherwise would not have the luxury.

While the device only works at 1% efficiency, it does work effectively and each one last approximately one year. They should cost around $7 and while that may seem like a lot, these solar lamps could potentially save villages 75% on their annual lighting costs, which traditionally are provided be kerosene lamps. These may not be the best solution for the problem but it surely is a step in the right direction; sometimes its the intermediary step than many choose to skip that eventually leads to the great breakthrough that changes the world.