Agriculture
July 19, 2021
Updated on August 25, 2019
·Created on June 9, 2014
Multi-purpose solar lantern providing direct lighting for personal tasks.
Market Suggested Retail Price
$36.99
Distributors / Implementing Organizations
Barefoot Power. Simba Telecom is the biggest mobile phone retailer in East Africa, with more than 30 retail outlets and hundreds of mobile dealers in Uganda. In December 2010, Simba selected the Barefoot Power Firefly Mobile Lamp to provide phone charging capabilities. One Renewable Energy Enterprise, Inc. “One Renewable” in the Philippines partnered with Micro Finance Institutions and local Distributors / Contractors to create a livelihood program that provides business opportunities for the community as well as maintain a strong and reliable sales and after sales network.
Manufacturing/Building Method
Intellectural Property Type
Trade Secret
User Provision Model
Available for purchase directly from the designer via in-country distributors and global sales importers in 20 countries. In-country distributors, wholly or partly owned by Barefoot Power, are currently operating in Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda, and more are planned. Barefoot aims to expand to Asia and Americas (22 countries) to reach 10 million people. For international sales, the product can be purchased from Amazon or Urjakart.
Distributions to Date Status
Lamp type
LED
Number of light points
1
Total light output (lumens)
36 Lumens
Multiple brightness settings (yes/no)
Yes
Light duration on single charge (hr)
5-50 hours
Mobile charging (yes/no)
No
Power source
Solar Panel and A/C charging
Battery type
Lithium Iron Phosphate
Peak power rating (Wp)
0.8 Wp
Battery capacity (kWh; mAh)
500 mAh
Battery nominal voltage (V)
Unknown
User replaceable battery (yes/no)
Yes
User replaceable light (yes/no)
Unknown
Design Specifications
Barefoot Power systems use a 1W to 15W photovoltaic (PV) module to generate electricity, and a rechargeable battery to store electricity. The solar lamp comes with a rechargeable battery that can be charged with the included solar panel. The rechargeable battery in the lamp will last up to 2 years depending on how the lamp is used. Replacement batteries and LEDs are available. The battery will fully recharge in 4-6 hours, if the panel is placed in direct sunlight. The lamp can be used to provide direct lighting or it can be hung up from its hook to provide ambient light. Comprised of tempered glass front and anodized aluminium frame with 3m long cable.
Technical Support
List of service stations in Uganda available on Barefoot website. Service Stations provide servicing for all our Dealers, Entrepreneurs and End users, provided receipts are attached to the product taken to them for servicing/repair/exchange in the case of bad batteries or panels. Technical expertise required to put products into use.
Replacement Components
Replacement parts available where sale was made and through Service Stations
Lifecycle
12 month manufacturer's guarantee on solar lamp. Batteries have an expected lifespan of 3 years.
Manufacturer Specified Performance Parameters
*Performance targets* • Runtime: High: 4 hours, Medium: 7 hours, Low: 50 hours • Solar panel size: 1.5W • Solar charging time: 4 to 6 hours • Battery: 3.2V 500mAh Lithium Iron Phosphate battery. Lifetime of 3 years • Protected from over-discharge and over-charge • Rated to 1000 cycles • Panel: 800mW polycrystalline solar panel • Lamp: 5 SMD LEDs totaling 0.27W • After one day of charging the Firefly Mini provides 36 lumens for 4.2 hours on high setting, 4 lumens for 50 hours on low setting
Vetted Performance Status
Standardized Specification Sheet
• Autonomous Run Time (full battery) :4.2 hours on “Brightest” setting
• Lighting hours per solar day (PV only): 4.2 hours on “Brightest” setting
• Light output: 36 lumens on “Brightest” setting
• Nominal Battery Voltage: 3.2 volts DC
• Battery Capacity: 500 mAh
• Battery Protection: Active HVD and passive LVD
The Comprehensive Initiative on Technology Evaluation (CITE) at MIT evaluated personal-use solar lanterns available on the market in Uganda and published the results in January 2015. The Firefly received the score of 58/100 and was demonstrated to have poor runtime on high setting. Full findings are available in their report and as a snapshot synopsis is available in the image included here.
Safety
Unknown
Complementary Technical Systems
Incorporating additional charging components (like radio) and charging capacity, durability and lumen output can help further improve the system.
Academic Research and References
Chen, W., Lemes, A., Moorthy, A., Strickland, L., Zhu, Y., Renewable energy at the base of the pyramid in Haiti [Internet]. Ann Arbor (MI): University of Michigan; 2014 Apr 22 [cited 2015 Jun 10].
Solanki, C.S., Mudaliar, S., Strategies to target rural PV market in developing countries – a perspective. PVSC. 2010 Jun 20-25;35:2392-2396.
Compliance with regulations
Barefoot Power Firefly mini meets Lighting Global Quality Standards and Recommended Performance Targets.
Other Information
None
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July 19, 2021
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