Solar Lighting – A Pure Solution Dedicated to Africa
A Pure Solar Lighting System Dedicated to Africa
United Kingdom., Nov. 19, 2012 – Pure Energy Centre
The Pure Energy® Centre, the UK pure® fuel, renewable energy and energy storage company is pleased to announce the launch of an innovative low power solar lighting lamp. The Pure® LEd And Solar Energy system (PLEASE) has been developed specifically to be installed in remote areas such as islands or small villages where there is no grid electricity. It is also the perfect fit for caravans, chalets, cabins, holidays home as much as cottages, remote villas, country houses, log cabins and boats.
Though we live in the 21st century, there are still over 1 billion people living without lighting. With so much solar power surrounding us, it is almost unthinkable that so many people still lives without standard electrical lighting. Unfortunately, lack of infrastructures, which includes power generation, transmission and distribution capabilities means that populations do not have access to a lighting system in its simplest form. Current solutions to this problem are the use of fuel based lighting systems, such as lighting generated from a hydrocarbon fuel.
Good examples of such lighting systems are kerosene lamps, candles, oil lights and others. But these fuel based lighting systems are expensive. Each house would usually buy one candle or one litre of kerosene everyday. These are dangerous as they are associated with health hazards due to the smoke they generate when they burn. That is why the Pure Energy® Centre have looked at developing a Pure® LEd And Solar Energy system (PLEASE) using low energy consumption LED technology.
The PLEASE Solar Lighting system
The PLEASE solar lighting is a highly efficient lighting system. Simply put, it uses a solar panel, a small solar battery, an efficient solar control system and a LED lamp. The LED lamp uses very little power to supply enough light for a room. This solar panel solution represents a perfect solution to cancel the issues with fuel based solutions. It provides enough light for a room, it is small in size so can be carried around and is easy to function with just an on and off button. The solar panel lighting system can be installed anywhere where there is sun and can be used in many versatile application such as:
- Solar lighting for a household
- Solar lighting for a small workshop
- Solar lighting for a shed
- Solar lighting for a refugee camps
- Solar lighting caravan.
The solar panel generates electricity during the day. This solar electricity is then stored into the solar battery through the solar control system. At night, when there is no solar daylight available, then the energy stored in the battery is used to supply electricity to the solar LED.
The Solar Lighting Porject Collaborators
The project is a collaboration between two islands – the Pure Energy® Centre (PEC) based on Unst (Shetland Island), and a young electronic engineer Massimo Ortisi of the Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Science Engineering of the University of Catania (Sicily Island), who has been employed to develop the prototype Pure® LEd Solar Lighting System (PLEASE).
Elizabeth Johnson, Business Development Manager at Pure Energy Centre said: “Conventional power projects are in most cases benefiting mainly urban populations, while hundreds of millions of rural populations in Africa and beyond continue to languish in poverty caused largely by a lack of basic lighting. By using our Solar Panel Lighting system, populations will be able to work late night, hence they will have access to more work, leading them to have a wealthier and better life. With this solar panel lighting project the Pure Energy Centre would like to demonstrate our commitment to communities worldwide.”
Prof. Giovanni Muscato, Professor in Automation Engineering at the Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Science Engineering at the University of Catania said: “To take part at this innovative project has been important for the university’s research and in the same time has allowed an international collaboration to identify a way to eliminate poverty through the implementation of integrated solar technology solution.”
Mr Ortisi Massimo, a researcher at Pure Energy® Centre and University of Catania said: “I am very proud to have designed and developed a solar lighting system which will benefit populations who have no access to the grid. I believe that a solar panel lighting system will be of great interest for caravan owners as much as small villages medical units.”
Why Solar LED Lighting?
Solar LED lighting systems have become the de facto solution for off grid lighting. LEDs are low power consumptions devices which allow an effective use of stored energy. In essence, a solar LED lighting system consists of a solar panel, a solar control system, a solar battery, and a solar LED. Simply put, solar energy is only available during the day. That is why we need a battery to store energy during the day. The energy stored during the day will then be used at night.
The solar panel converts the solar irradiation into electricity. The solar generated electricity is then stored into a solar type battery through the solar control system. When dawn comes, the solar panel does not generate electricity. It is then that the battery is called upon to supply power to the LED lighting system.
The control system plays a pivotal role in any solar LED lighting system. It monitors, controls and carefully manages the battery state of charge. When the battery is fully charged, then the solar control system stops charging the battery. In the case that the battery is discharged, then the solar control system disconnects the battery from the LED. In summary, the solar panel is used to charge the battery during the day, while the LED is used to provide lighting at night when there is no solar irradiation.
About the Pure Energy® Centre:
The Pure Energy® Centre, the Pure® fuel, renewable energy, energy storage company, and the UK leader in renewable hydrogen systems, provides independent technical & consultancy services for the energy, renewable energy, transport, heating, building and hydrogen, oxygen, CNG, nitrogen sectors. At the Pure Energy Centre we deliver proven, guaranteed, independent energy solutions for your project across the environmental & energy spectrum including:
· Renewable energy · Hydrogen and fuel cells technologies · Oxygen, CNG, Nitrogen and other gases · Control & monitoring · Consulting · Project management and environmental services · Energy infrastructure projects · Renewable hydrogen training courses · Technology integration
For more information contact:
Tel: + 44 1957 711 410
Email: info@pureenergycentre.com
Web: www.pureenergycentre.com
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University of Catania
Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Science Engineering
Prof. Giovanni Muscato
Tel: +39-095-7382321
e-mail: gmuscato@diees.unict.it
Home page : <http://www.diees.unict.it/users/gmuscato>
Robotic page : <http://www.robotic.diees.unict.it>
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