Lights On

A Solar Light Bulb Brightens Far Corners Of The Globe

Martin Gonzalez holds a Nokera bulb in his store in La Mesa, Colombia. Cover photo credit: Courtesy Nokera

Martin Gonzalez had been selling Nokero light bulbs out of his garage store in La Mesa, Colombia, for only a month when he realized there was a strong interest in his new product.

Gonzalez, who is also a community pastor, tried taking the bulbs to indigenous villages in remote areas that had never had electrical power. The bulbs were quite a technological leap from the kerosene lanterns or candles used by these struggling families. But they welcomed the change.

“Larger cities in Colombia don’t see the value in the light bulb, but it’s useful for those areas that don’t have lanterns or electricity,” says Gonzalez, 44. “There are people who understand its ecological value.”

The sea green Nokero light bulb looks much like the light bulbs found in kitchens or living rooms. It’s compact and simple to use. It provides ample reading light. Children can do their homework alongside its cheerful glow.

Bright Idea

But this bulb is solar, and rechargeable. And it’s brightening up some of the most impoverished regions on Earth.
Nokero International, a U.S. company that creates and sells environmentally friendly solar products, has brought solar light bulbs to 100 countries worldwide, so far. Company founder and inventor Steve Katsaros is the face behind the growing company, founded only last year. His goal is to take solar products worldwide, and make them accessible to even the poorest communities.

The Nokero bulb is portable, rechargeable with sunlight, and can withstand heat up to 131 degrees Fahrenheit as well as rain.

The company began selling the bulbs in bulk to vendors in June, in a package it calls the BizBox. The Bizbox comes complete with 144 solar light bulbs, 50 posters, 200 flyers and two display cases, so that vendors can immediately set up shop in their communities.

With the BizBox, Nokero hopes to spread its presence, and the use of solar energy, worldwide. And they’re starting with small business entrepreneurs such as Gonzalez.

“Having that light bulb is especially useful at night,” says Gonzalez, who sells the bulbs for 25,000 Colombian pesos, or about $13. Gonzalez says he sold eight bulbs in his first month after buying a BizBox.

Homework Helper

The bulbs light up dark paths that can be infested with snakes and other creatures.  They increase safety in small villages that are often vulnerable to crime. Children can play with the bulbs without danger, as Gonzalez often witnesses during his visits to rural areas outside of the city of  Mitu, or along the Amazon River near the city of Leticia.

But most importantly to these families, their children can finish their homework under the bulb’s glow after the sun goes down.

Nokera inventor Steve Katsaros in Pakistan. Photo: Cheyenne Ellis

While the bulb gains popularity among Colombia’s poor, the same is happening in other countries where there are remote areas without modern services, including Swaziland, Haiti and Mexico. It appears to be a safer and more economical choice then the kerosene lamps and candles most impoverished families have been using.

This is not a fringe market. An estimated two billion people around the world live “off the grid,” or without a consistent supply of electrical power, according to a report in The New York Times.

Of course, they work when the electricity fails, too. Nokera bulbs were recently dispatched to the earthquake zone in eastern Turkey.

But the bulbs also have the potential to boost local economies, says  Tom Boyd, public relations manager for Nokero International. Vendors such as Gonzalez make a profit from selling bulbs they buy in bulk. Customers save money over time on the bulbs, which can be re-charged for five to 10 years.

Vendors pay $999 for a BizBox, including about $8 for each bulb. For someone like Gonzalez, who converted his garage into a small store to supplement his income, sale of the bulbs can be a significant income boost.

Garage Hub

In fact, the Gonzalez garage store has become a hub for Nokero, according to Rich Mitchell, executive director of The PIER Institute, an organization that establishes connections between disadvantaged communities and businesses seeking a foothold in emerging economies.

It seems the Bizbox is one good way to start.

Gonzalez, who says he’s drawn to marginalized communities, is excited to be a part of Nokero’s goal to spread solar living.  “It’s worth promoting Nokero bulbs in our countries,” says Gonzalez, “and taking them to areas that need not only the light of God but also physical light.”