Having spent 2 years as a volunteer in Sierra Leone, I discovered the power of solar energy, it then became my vocation. After many years working in developing countries in product design and solar engineering, I feel there is an urgent need for a solar light that can be manufactured and maintained locally.

There will be key challenges in terms of component sourcing and material processing, which inevitably will have some knock-on effects in terms of form, function and costs, but I feel there should be an alternative to the existing 'throw away' solar products that have a 1-5 year lifetime.

Solapodz are a range of such products designed for local manufacture, local maintenance and the potential to be upgraded or recycled, but without relying on injection moulded plastic as the key component.

These are intended for people in developing countries without access to reliable electricity. Initially these products could be configured for lighting and/or USB mobile phone charging, but future designs could incorporate IOT remote sensing and transmission e.g. water well levels, water purity or farm data.

This not only will enable more people to have access to electric light as an alternative to the unhealthy kerosene lamp but will also help stimulate the local economy. The other key benefits are the environmental savings due to reduced shipping and plastic disposal. I feel there is an opportunity to create something aesthetically pleasing and environmentally friendly using wood as the base material, for a very important product using renewable energy at its core. Over many years I have developed prototype designs and I feel that I am now ready for further production to allow some real market testing and design validation.