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Solar powered bulbs light the way in the developing world

Relaxnews
Thursday 25 November 2010 00:00 GMT
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Nokero, which claims to be the manufacturers of the world's only solar light bulb, announced on November 16 the launch of the new Nokero N200, a bulb 60 percent brighter than its predecessor the N100. The bulb is designed to be used in communities around the world that do not have reliable access to electricity.

The company claims that the N200 can last over six hours on one day's charge and, according to the press release, is designed to be affordable to "billions of people who live worldwide without electricity." The bulb contains one solar panel with which it draws light from the sun to store in a battery for use at night, the bulb turns off automatically in bright light in order to conserve power and is rainproof for use outside. The bulb is currently being used to aid flood victims in the refugee camps of Pakistan and in Kenyan orphanages and, according to the press release, Nokero also plan to ship the bulb to Iraq as a replacement for the expensive diesel generators currently being used.

The bulb is designed to provide an alternative source of light to the kerosene and other similar fuels typically used in communities with little or no access to electricity, research from the Intermediate Technology Development Group and the World Health Organization estimates that indoor air pollution from such fuel contributes to 1.5 million deaths per year. Through more for environmental than health reasons, solar powered lighting is a growing trend across Europe and America; a variety of solar powered garden lamps and lighting devices are available from most major retailers and can even be bought online at amazon.com. Nokero: http://www.nokero.com

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