Solar Home Systems of 20-50 Watts are not affordable for the majority of rural people in Africa, nor in many countries in Asia and Latin America. In Kenya, for example, 80% of rural people possess kerosene hurricane lamps and spend between $3 and $8 per month on kerosene plus batteries for torches and radios, and candles. Battery charging is an increasingly common service in towns. For most of these homes a small power source for lighting using modern compact fluorescent lamps, power for a radio and possibly other electronic appliances would do much to improve living conditions if it was affordable. This paper describes the process of market research and the trade-offs during product development and testing to produce a lantern that is affordable and reliable. The requirements of the battery, panel, charge regulator and lighting circuit are described and the critical process of mass marketing in rural areas is described.
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