Solar energy has two common applications: solar powered heater and solar powered lights. We usually know that solar powered lights usually be solar street lights , solar garden lights, solar parking lot lights, solar lawn lights, and so on. But these solar lights should be designed and consumed by the public or the rich in those developed countries. Can they be used by the poor in the developing countries and areas? As is known to all, there are still many people are using kerosene lamps for lighting now in some area of Africa. And these lamps are harmful to the users' eyes, especially the children.

Now there is a good solution for this very problem: use small solar lights instead of kerosene lamps. A local company cooperates with a Chinese company to design and make out a new kind of lights powered by the Sun and they are named as Sunlite Kit. These lights need no extra equipments and costs. Once you buy them and charge them under the Sun for several hours, you can use it for at least five hours after dark. They give off a enough lights strength for at least two hours and a mid lights strength for next two hours. So their light output hours are suitable for the children who need do homework. The LED light colour is warm white and no longer damage children's eyesight.

A little fly in the ointment  for these solar lights are that they are not be very portable for their weight and size (See in next figure). But it is maybe not a difficulty because usually people put them on a very position in the house and will not move them frequently. The only several disadvantage for the new lights is the cost: they are too expensive for the families. How to solve the costs problem? Maybe there are several trains of thought: donated by those people in the rich country as one day salary and so on, earned through doing voluntary works by the children themselves, funded by the local government or the local enterprises. It seems that the third solution is more practicable. And the first one is also good. In those rich areas like Columbia, people are planning change their old traditional street lights into solar powered street lights to save their energy consuming. And a little part of their energy reduction can help these Africa families afford to the small solar lights.

And so far, it seems that they achieve success. These new lights are welcomed by almost everyone. Children are able to do their homework in a luminous environment. The director of this local company even presents the lights to each of his employees for a Christmas gift.

Here are some parameters for the new small solar lights:

Solar cell: 1 WATT

No. of LED: 30

LED light colour: Warm whit

Gross weight: 1.60 Kgs

Net weight : 1.33 Kgs

Packaging dimensions: 30cm x 25cm x 25cm

LUX level: 11

Light output hours:

1st HOUR- 100% - 90%

2nd HOUR- 90% - 80%

3rd HOUR- 80% - 65%

4th HOUR- 65% -> 50%

5th HOUR- 50% -> 30%