D.Light: Solar-Powered LED Lights For the World’s Neediest
Designing sustainable products for the consumer that spends just $2 a day can be a dual challenge: The goods have to be cheap and eco-friendly. That’s the hurdle facing D.Light, a startup that is officially announcing its products this morning. The company, which is in the process of moving its offices to Shenzhen, China, from Mountain View, Calif., is making three LED and solar-based lighting products that cost just $10 to $30 and are meant to replace kerosene lanterns.
Starting as early as July, D.Light will start selling its first solar-charging LED light called the Nova for around $12 to $25 (pictured to the left). One hour of solar charge can provide one hour of LED light on the medium setting. There are four settings: low, medium and high — and the ultra-low “nightlight.” The company will also soon sell the Comet (the second photo after the jump), which is a solar-powered desklight, priced $12 to $16. Then there’s the Vega (first photo after the jump), a fast-charging LED light meant for users that have a daily but sporadic connection to the power grid; the Vega costs around $15.
In many regions of India and Africa that are not connected to the power grid, kerosene lanterns provide much of the lighting. Problem is, kerosene lanterns can be unsafe and cause respiratory problems; they’re also generally pretty dim and are a contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. D.Light President Ned Tozun tells us that, while no one would argue replacing kerosene lanterns is a bad idea, technologies such as LEDs and solar panels have just started to become cost-effective replacements. And D.Light is a trying to make a real dent in the kerosene lantern problem.
We’ve written about D.Light before; the startup is a local do-gooder founded by Tozun and his business partners down at Stanford. And the company has already gotten backing from Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Garage Technology Ventures, Mahindra & Mahindra, Nexus India Capital, Acumen Fund, Gray Matters Capital and Michael Marks (the Chairman of Flextronics).
What’s up next for the company? Scale, scale and mass production. This is a business centered around driving down the costs of the product, and that means streamlining production and finding the lowest cost manufacturers around. Tozen won’t go into much detail about its parts suppliers — only that the company is working with Seoul Semiconductor for its LEDs and plans to produce in “the millions of units.”
Stateside, you’re probably asking: How can I buy one of these, and will they ever be at REI? Not anytime soon, says Tozun; the company is strongly focused on getting its goods to the developing world first. We asked if there was some kind of buying plan like the one proposed for other goods like the One Laptop for Child, where a customer in a developed world could pay many times the price and have one or more delivered to developing markets on the consumer’s behalf. Tozun says the company is considering all options and still formulating its market plan.
Images courtesy of D.Light.
Also see Bogo Light, buy one/give one solar powered flashlight: http://www.bogolight.com/ I’m not associated with the company, just a fan.
India is improving and still lot of work need to be done..
We have a great forum dedicated to discussions about India. Discuss, review and comment on latest news & stories from india.
Please visit our forums for more information. http://www.indiavoice.info/forum
Please send me catalogue with prices.
The items from the catalog will be shipped to Liberia for church and community activities, and probably extend to diocesan cost reduction.
VERY INTERESTED. Especially, for perimeter lighting and cell phone charging in the hinterland.
Please, send catalogue and prices to:P.O.B. 672
Glenside,Pa.19038.
Keep up the GOOD WORK!
I am a manufacuter of LED LIGHTS in HK.(ELECOSN INC.)
I have ideas about LED light:
LED light will be the future of lighting , turely
It is with advantages:
1. Low power consumption, saving up 80% evergy than traditional halogen bulbs
2. Green, no pollution. It is solid state lighting
3. Long use life. Up to 100,000 hours
it is means that for years, there will be no any addtional maintenance cost
For the heating problem, there are many solution so solve it. The powe of LED light is enough to light home, office, even street, it is no problem
The only problem now is the cost. Its cost is still high. For example, our 4.5W LED Bulb (its lum equal to 24W halogen bulb), the cost will be about USD20 including freight charge form Hong Kong to the wolrd. How about this price? Can afford? I hope LED COST could be down soon, so the world will use LED lighting, that will make our earth more green and clean.
I have a report about LED LIght Vs Halogen bulb at website, http://www.elecosn-led-display-screen.com/about/news_detail.asp?newsid=45
if you are interested in it, please read it, and hope it useful to you
I am a manufacuter of LED LIGHTS in HK.(ELECOSN INC.)
I have ideas about LED light:
LED light will be the future of lighting , turely
It is with advantages:
1. Low power consumption, saving up 80% evergy than traditional halogen bulbs
2. Green, no pollution. It is solid state lighting
3. Long use life. Up to 100,000 hours
it is means that for years, there will be no any addtional maintenance cost
For the heating problem, there are many solution so solve it. The powe of LED light is enough to light home, office,
even street, it is no problem
The only problem now is the cost. Its cost is still high. For example, our 4.5W LED Bulb (its lum equal to 24W
halogen bulb), the cost will be about USD20 including freight charge form Hong Kong to the wolrd. How about this
price? Can afford? I hope LED COST could be down soon, so the world will use LED lighting, that will make our earth
more green and clean.
I have a report about LED LIght Vs Halogen bulb at website,
http://www.elecosn-led-display-screen.com/about/news_detail.asp?newsid=45
if you are interested in it, please read it, and hope it useful to you
Tne nova of D.light company is rubbish, made in Chia, using the poisoned and cheapest material from China rubbish illegal small factory.
the similar productS made in China to the Nova MADE BY D.LIGHT in china, the price is about $3, and the quality is better than tne NOVA. So d.light company led products haven’t been in competition with China factories for simple cheap products depending on lower much labors. D.light company lives only by the narration of how poor people of India and Africa lives without light, and gets donation from American investors. Can it survive from donate long time?
Tne nova of D.light company is rubbish, made in Chia, using the poisoned and cheapest material from China rubbish illegal small factory.
the similar productS made in China to the Nova MADE BY D.LIGHT in china, the price is about $3, and the quality is better than tne NOVA. So d.light company led products haven’t been in competition with China factories for simple cheap products depending on lower much labors. D.light company lives only by the narration of how poor people of India and Africa lives without light, and gets donation from American investors. Can it survive from donate long time?
Realy excelent blog and comments. Thanks and best regards from Private Krankenversicherung
LED already is the future of lighting. Hopefully it makes a break through into every day life.
Sustainable energy goods are clearly the future and I think we should congratulate these companies who are working on sustainability…not necessarily to turn a profit but to behave in a green manner and contributing to many of the 3rd world’s societies.
utresa,
Are you serious?
I myself donated several times to dlight from USA thinking that they are high quality.
And also ordering lots of Nova for a small village in andhra pradesh.
Now after your comment i have to think hard.
Rgds,
Rama
if this product with the latest dimmable LED bulb at 5W, it will be so great!!
ELECOSN announces its world first dimmable LED bulb at 5W. you can come here and see it:
http://www.elecosn.com/pro/bulb/spot_3.html
Salutations,
We would like to introduce ourselves as a private company which established 1963.
We need the RECHARGEBLE LED for light use about AC/DC outo on circuit
Please provide us with the general detailed catalogues and price list C&F Lattakia port in US$ for all your products.
We look forward to hearing for you. Thank you in advance for your kind cooperation .
Best Regards,
Engineer/Commercial Manager
Mohamad Bassel BORGHOLI
Note: Please Send us your E-mail.
excellent
nice blog
Regards
David
http://doctorsemployment.com
I love to hear the developments in the LED lighting business – look forward to it hitting the UK shores
I have been noticing a lot of lighting are switching to the LED I think it it is going to be better in the long run
It’s all good for the environment, and I’m apprieciate that!:]
Great article. Keep on sharing :)
i bought these and they work really well. i also bought some for my garden. they accent it really well with the flower design
Utresa,
could you please give details because I thought LEDs are the solution for Africa. I am promoting LED technology in rural east africa. I would like to know where I can get supply of high quality durable and affordable LEDs. THought D-lights are the solution?
I’m sure we’ll see more breakthroughs for using this in indoor lighting as time passes.
I definitely see a future in indoor lighting utilizing this.
A really great article, I do not agree with everything, but thank you for the effortless. environmental protection is to imagine the first.
Beautiful lighting.
thanks yours.s.
A really great article, I do not agree with everything, but thank you for the effortless. environmental protection is to imagine the first.
cool lighting^^
Wow 5 wats thats incredible. I have been researching this kind of stuff in preparation for economizing the bills…..
This is a very interesting piece of product i find and i belive it would be good as of now for remote in places in india like leh & Ladakh so if some one goes to leh tour this led light would be good for him in treaks of india.
It’s good to know there are environment friendly lights that exist in the market. However, I want to know whether they are worth it in the long run. Though I really like environment-friendly products, quality should still be an issue.
First off great idea on creating the roundtable… some really good feedback in this first edition. The key for smaller developers is as John says above, focusing on making great apps aimed at a particular set of users.
We are looking at developing apps in the future that are longer term pieces. Ones that are intended to grow slowly but solidly over time.
yes
not bad, good.
I think very good.
Could be a little more visual studies.
I searched for my office.
Possible to find the former in small shops.
thank u
I love to hear the developments in the LED lighting business – look forward to it hitting the UK shores
Possible to find the former in small shops
i love led (=
This is very good idea, God bless you and your works
hellooo
We have to support Solar-Powered LED Lights for clear world.
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It’s all good for the environment
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We have to support Solar-Powered LED Lights for clear world.
he company is strongly focused on getting its goods to the developing world first. We asked if there was some kind of buying plan like the one proposed for other goods like the One Laptop for Child, where a customer in a developed world could pay many times the price and have one or more delivered to developing markets on the consumer’s behalf.
It’s all good for the environment
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he company is strongly focused on getting its goods to the developing world first. We asked if there was some kind of buying plan like the one proposed for other goods like the One Laptop for Child, where a customer in a developed world could pay many times the price and have one or more delivered to developing markets on the consumer’s behalf.
Thanks for writing. Good works.
very good ideas.nice writing!
this is good for solar-powered LED…
Thank you very much dude. Really appreciate it
Great imformation thanks
A really great article, I do not agree with everything, but thank you for the effortless. environmental protection is to imagine the first.
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Realy excelent blog and comments. Thanks and best regards from Private Krankenversicherung
Thank you very very much.
This lights changes everything usual. Thank you for sharing
I think solar energy most useful for the world we really need which uses solar energy stuff
Really good info thank you
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I think solar energy most useful for the world we really need which uses solar energy stuff
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Thanks for the info but for entire of my life ive not seen anything that is usefull which is using solar
Except the solar lights on my garden hehe..
A lot of developments have been occuring in the solar lights market especially for those companies tageting developing countries. Only recently I read about another company which targets users in Africa which is offering small and portable solar lighting and power solutions.
thank you very much admin:):)
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