The Power of Design: Product Innovation in Sustainable Energy Technologies

G.3 Results

The final design is called Moonlight (“Ampoul Preahchan” in Khmer). It has a triangular shape and includes a cord that is attached at the three corner points. It can be hung from the wall or ceiling, carried by hand, or hung around the neck. It has six wide-angle LEDs, which is equivalent to the light output of about 2–3 kerosene lamps. It comes with a 0.7 Wp solar panel, which can be fixed to a bamboo pole with a standard clamp. This option was chosen as several people had stated during the interviews that they were so afraid of the solar panel getting stolen they would prefer to keep the panel inside all day, leaving a window open for charging. Currently, this “antitheft” technique is used for TV antennas, so this technique is not new to the people.

The strap represents the most crucial handling feature, allowing one to wear it comfortably around the neck and easily connect the product to building constructions. The upper shell is transparent with a reflector to enhance the bright LED light, hiding at the same time inner components such as the batteries and electronics. The light has three settings: bright (for reading or work), medium (for eating or socializing), and low (for orientation or safety). When used at full power, the product delivers about 30 lm by six efficient LEDs during 4 hours. In medium dimmed mode, it produces diffuse – that is, amenity – light for 20 hours; and in fully dimmed mode it lasts 40 hours. The expected lifetime is 5 years, with battery ...