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2013.10.29 News
Panasonic Corporation will start selling a solar LED lantern that doubles as a charger for people living in areas without electricity.
Osaka, Japan- Panasonic Corporation today announced that it will start selling a solar LED lantern that doubles as a charger for people living in areas without electricity. With a built-in rechargeable battery to store solar energy during the day, the lantern provides light at night and can also be used as a power source to charge small mobile devices, such as mobile phones. The company plans to bring the lantern to regions without electricity, starting from Asia and Africa in December this year. The functions of the BG-BL03 Solar LED Lantern, such as 360-degree illumination and a charging time of approximately 6 hours*1, make it practical and convenient for everyday use in these areas.
About 1.3 billion people, or approximately 20% of the world's population, are still living without electricity*2. Many of these people use kerosene lamps for lighting. However, kerosene lamps not only fail to provide sufficient light but also emit toxic fumes and pose a fire risk. In addition, there are also problems with the infrastructure for charging mobile phones, which have become a popular communication tool in areas without electricity.
Panasonic's new Solar LED Lantern, with a 3.5-watt output solar panel and a USB port, offers a clean and safe alternative as a light source as well as a power source for people living in areas without electricity. The portable lantern can be used in homes and various other locations including hospitals, schools, shops and outdoors. The lantern can be charged in about six hours to provide up to six hours of light*3 at the maximum brightness setting.
The Solar LED Lantern will be launched in Kenya, Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Malaysia, followed by other countries. Starting with the solar lantern, its first product for BOP*4 markets, Panasonic will continue to accelerate the development of BOP markets and strengthen product development to help improve the lives of people in regions without electricity.
Last year, as part of its corporate citizenship activities, Panasonic launched the "100 Thousand Solar Lanterns Project", with the goal of donating a total of 100,000 solar electric lights*5 to people in regions of the world without electricity by 2018, the 100th anniversary of the company's founding, through local social institutions including NPOs and NGOs.
The lantern contains five LEDs and is designed to emit light 360 degrees. This wide emission angle makes it suitable for use in everyday life such as at family dinners and for children studying. With a touch of button on the lantern, the brightness can be adjusted between High (100 lx), Medium (40 lx) and Low (6 lx). The lantern has a handle, which allows for flexibility in setting up the light. It can be hung in the room, placed on a table or carried with the user.
Left: The three brightness settings, from left, Low, Medium and High Right: Six ways of usage: it can be used as a portable lamp, put on a table or hung in the room.
The Solar LED Lantern is designed to be fully charged in one day and last one night so that it is useful for everyday life in areas without electricity. With a 3.5 W solar panel, the lantern's built-in battery can be fully charged in appoximately six hours under fine weather conditions. When fully charged, the battery run time is approximately six hours on High setting, about 15 hours on Medium and roughly 90 hours when set at Low*4.
The Solar LED Lantern has a USB port, via which small devices such as mobile phones can be charged. A mobile phone with a 700mAh capacity battery can be fully charged in approximately two hours*6. The fully-charged lantern can provide enough power to charge such a mobile phone once or twice*6.
The Solar LED Lantern can be used safely in the rain, as it comes with an ingress protection rating of IP34*7 set by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) for dust and water resistance.
The Solar LED Lantern has been awarded the Good Design Award 2013, which is organized by Japan Institute of Design Promotion, and the IAUD Award 2013 which is organized by International Association for Universal Design.
[Specifications]
Product name | Solar LED Lantern | ||
Model number | BG-BL03 | ||
LED brightness setting | High | Medium | Low |
Luminance | 100lx | 40lx | 6lx |
Operation time | Approx. 6 hours | Approx. 15 hours | Approx. 90 hours |
Charging time | Approx. 6 hours battery (rechargeable via solar panel only) | ||
Battery | Nickel-metal hydride battery | ||
Solar panel output | 3.5W | ||
Size | Lantern: Approx. 138 (L) x 133 (W) x 60mm (H) Solar panel: Approx. 206 (L) x 186 (W) x 39mm (H) |
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Weight | Lantern: Approx. 400g, Solar panel: Approx. 630g |
About Panasonic
Panasonic Corporation is a worldwide leader in the development and engineering of electronic technologies and solutions for customers in residential, non-residential, mobility and personal applications. Since its founding in 1918, the company has expanded globally and now operates over 500 consolidated companies worldwide, recording consolidated net sales of 7.30 trillion yen for the year ended March 31, 2013. Committed to pursuing new value through innovation across divisional lines, the company strives to create a better life and a better world for its customers. For more information about Panasonic, please visit the company's website at http://panasonic.net/.