A shift to solar LED systems and away from fuel-based lighting in the developing world may spur economic development as well as environmental improvements, creating an estimated 2 million solar-based jobs in some of the world’s poorest regions. A survey of major solar LED lighting companies, conducted by Evan Mills at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), found that 38 solar-related jobs are created for each 10,000 people living off-grid and for whom stand-alone solar LED lights are suitable. A focus group with rural Kenyans on solar-LED lanterns, from a 2009...Read full articleRelated content from Photonics MediaARTICLESDevice Generates Renewable Electricity from Cold Night SkyAn inexpensive thermoelectric device demonstrated the ability to power an LED at night by harnessing the cold of space to generate electricity. 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