D.light: Bringing light to the developing world

At first glance, the Kiran solar-powered lamp made by D.light is just plain cute — it would look right at home in an Apple store. But the real news is that it could save people in the developing world a substantial amount of money, and spare the atmosphere millions of tons of carbon dioxide by replacing kerosene lamps in countries where they are still the primary source of light.

The Kiran (the Hindi word for “ray of light”) lamps can reach a full charge from one day’s worth of sunlight, with each charge lasting four to eight hours depending on which of two power modes is being used. It doesn’t seem like much, but this innovation could represent a substantial improvement in the quality of life for people who have long been depending on kerosene lighting.
Kerosene, responsible for 100 million tons of carbon emissions every year, also comes with these snags:

Fueling lamps costs a household at least three dollars a month (a lot in countries where 10 cents buys a decent meal)
They often start costly and even devastating house fires
They emit poor quality yellow light that strains eyes
They are unusable in rain and high-speed wind
They require regular maintenance to function properly
They aren’t very versatile (can’t be used as a flashlight, for instance)
They produce a large quantity of soot, staining people’s homes and clothing

All of these problems are solved by the solar-powered, light emitting-diode-based Kiran. Well, almost all of these problems. Right now, the light sells for $10 (U.S.) — a major investment for any family in the regions being targeted. But D.light says this initial price should be made up for in just three to six months of use.
In addition to being engineered for renewable and efficient energy use, the Kiran is well-suited to the rugged conditions found in most developing nations. It has survived drops of up to 15 meters, and pre-launch feedback has been promising. “It looks sturdy and unbreakable,” Babasaheb Chudhar, a farmer and D.light dealer in Nipani Jalgaon, India, told the company. It is also water resistant, and has vents to prevent heat buildup in the batteries. It even includes a fine, built-in mesh to prevent bug zapping and buildup. The typical Kiran is designed to last for years, D.light says.
You might argue that sun power is just as intermittent as the rain and wind that hamper kerosene. But the Kiran comes equipped with an AC power charging option for overcast days. For those who need light and may have access to an electrical outlet, this is a good plan B, though D.light emphasizes that it wants the Kiran to be a solution for those who don’t have any access to electrical infrastructure too. Future incarnations may include a more advanced energy storage option to make overcast days less of a problem for these customers.
So far, those that already have a Kiran say they use it most in the kitchen to illuminate their cooking. Many also reported that the light helped their children continue their schoolwork past dark, and helped parents take a moment for themselves or each other after a long day of work and kids — two things that were seldom possible before.
With no recurrent maintenance costs, and only one button to push (no matches and oil required), the Kiran may be used to light up to 100 million homes by 2020, D.light says. To make this a reality, the company has raised $6 million in venture capital funding from Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Garage Technology Ventures, Mahindra Group, Gray Matters Capital, the Acumen Fund and Nexus India Capital. It was able to bring in that money in November 2008 — an extremely tough time for anyone to be fundraising, which is a testament to how much these firms believed in the concept.
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