5.1 - Little Sun Solar Powered LED Lamp – A Work of Art that Works in Life

Light is life. The Little Sun is an innovative, solar-powered LED lamp to bring clean,
reliable, affordable light to the 1.2 billion people or 20% of the world’s population without access to electricity.
It was designed by artist Olafur Eliasson and engineer Frederik Ottesen,
and produced by scientist and social entrepreneur Dr. Irene Lee.
Its unique, energy-efficient design comes in the form of a portable, hand-sized sun.

Sustainable / renewable energy. Fuel-based lighting such as lanterns is an expensive and unhealthy light source.
Little Sun is much cheaper: over the course of three years,
Little Sun’s innovative and energy efficient design will save users 90% of what they would spend on fuel-based lighting.
Switching to Little Sun solar-powered LED light means no more money spent monthly on lighting fuel.

Environmental/user-friendly. Little Sun is not only more affordable; it’s healthier and safer too.
Emissions from fuel-based lighting have significant toxic effects.
The open flames of lanterns and candles are also dangerous fire hazards.
By contrast, the light from Little Sun is clean, sustainable and safe.
And with Little Sun, users enjoy a quality of light that is 10 times stronger and better than fuel-based lighting.
Little Sun is user-friendly, 5 hours of charging in the sun creates a full evening of bright solar-powered light plus extended hours of use at a lower intensity.
It is designed to adapt to people’s lifestyle: it can be worn around the neck,
carried as a hand-held lantern, fixed as a table lamp, hung on a wall or attached to a bike.

Economic/social impact. Little Sun is also a social enterprise that follows the principle of trade, not aid.
It is not just about delivering light to people, it matters how it gets there.
Little Sun addresses the need for light in a sustainable way that benefits off-grid communities by helping to create and sustain small businesses.
The Little Sun business model is to invest in the delivery
of light to off-grid areas by supplying local distributors and small businesses with Little Sun lamps at low prices, creating local jobs,
and providing retailers with the support they need to generate profit.

Lower off-grid Little Sun prices are made possible by:
•selling Little Suns on-grid at a higher price
•raising additional funds through Little Sun projects and events worldwide
•working with our on-grid retail partners who take a reduced profit margin
from sales of Little Suns to support the project.

All funds generated by Little Sun are used to drive the project.
Little Sun’s goal is to spread sustainable light, safe energy, and profit everywhere.
Little Sun makes light for living, learning and earning.

Little Sun empowers people living in off-grid areas by:
•enabling longer work hours hence increasing productivity
•providing light for children to read and study
•supplying light for families to cook together at night
•allowing people to socialize after dark
•making safe night time travel possible
•improving workplace safety without relying on unsafe
and carcinogenic kerosene lanterns.

Little Sun in on-grid areas is perfect for:
•camping, beach parties, BBQs, festivals, and children’s games
•lighting exterior spaces, gardens, terraces or balconies
•indoors as a household energy-saver, night light etc.