Greenlight Planet’s idea is to replace the kerosene lamps used in developing countries with solar-powered lamps. Their light-emitting diodes system work for 16 hours after being charged in the sun for a day.

“It is crucial to find a sustainable way to provide electricity to the 1.6 billion people across the planet who don’t have access to it yet”, says Hélène Pelosse, Interim Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

Hélène Pelosse adds: “The cost of solar panels has been almost divided by two in the past few years and this is only the beginning. But this prize decrease needs to happen even faster to reach the low income communities and drastically improve their way of life”.

The first prize of the Solar for All Design Contest is an investment of US$250,000 from the Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation. The four shortlisted finalists will be eligible for potential investment from the Solar for All Investment Fund to be launched in 2011.