OREANDA-NEWS. Panasonic Corporation 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, 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. 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.