We have harnessed a unique combination of lighting and energy technologies to produce an integrated system that is durable enough for use in rural African settings and that does not depend upon an electrical grid.
We combine efficient lighting technology with a simple energy source readily available to all Africans in the form of microbial fuel cells. These inexpensive fuel cells run on animal and plant waste and naturally occurring soil microbes, and are framed around a flexible substrate (wood, steel, etc) that can vary by geographic availability. This is truly electricity right out of the ground. These fuel cells are used to charge a battery or cheap supercapacitor, which in turn will be used to power a high-efficiency efficient LED or PLED lamp.
Polymer light emitting diodes (PLEDs) are the next generation of LEDs - they are lightweight, flexible, have a very low operating voltage, and have a large surface area made of plastic or another malleable material. These features make the technology especially versatile and suitable for the varied environments and applications across rural African communities.
