A new solar rechargeable flashlight - backed up by three AA batteries that last up to three years (costing $0.80) - gives up to 7 hours of light. In a market where nearly 2 billion people have no affordable access to light, light is a big deal:
If you're an environmentalist you think about [the problem] in terms of discarded batteries and coal and wood burning and kerosene smoke; if you’re a feminist you think of it in terms of security for women and preventing sexual abuse and violence; if you're an educator you think about it in terms of helping children and adults study at night.
BOP households spend an average of 7% percent of this income on energy. In Africa, where 250 million poor spend an estimated $12 billion, energy ranks third in households' expenditure. In Asia, mainly due to India’s share, it ranks second.
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