Two new portable solar lights meet quality standards

Two new solar lighting products have passed the rigorous Lighting Global quality tests and meet the recommended performance targets.

The new entrants will increase the market share of high performing quality-verified lighting products retailing in Africa.

The just released Lighting Africa Market Trends Report 2012 shows that more and more manufacturers are now bringing to market products that meet quality standards and consumer preferences.

The report shows that quality-verified products now command about a third of Africa’s off-grid lighting market, as consumers seek more durable, high performing lighting products.

The first product, WakaWaka Light is a portable, durable lamp that offers light at its high brightness setting for close to 9 hours after a single day of solar charging. At the lower light setting, the lamp can light up a room for up to 18 hours.

Micromark Compact LED solar light

The WakaWaka Light is marketed both through a new social venture and the WakaWaka Foundation .

The second product is the Compact LED Solar Light, a portable lantern which has an inbuilt solar panel. When fully charged, this compact light will light a room for about four hours. It is manufactured by Micromark

The Market Trends Report also found that average product performance improved by about 140% between 2009 and 2012, batteries now on average lasting about 6 hours while product brightness increased by some 30%.