Plug into the sun! US inventor shows the way with an affordable solar charger for mobile phones in Africa

29th August 2014
Plug into the sun!  US inventor shows the way with an affordable  solar charger for  mobile phones in Africa

LESSONS FOR INDIA, HERE!
Photos: Top left:  John Anderson charging a local consumers phone with the technology. Top Right: Anderson with Testing Engineer Marica testing the solar panels with a variety of mobile phones  against the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains in Colarado (US). 
Bottom: Young customers in Africa, all charged up ( literally!)  with World Panels ( shown in their commercial packing)

LUSAKA, Zambia, August 29, 2014: "World Panel" solar panels that charge mobile phones as fast as a wall plug have  been launched in Zambia. The launch was attended by senior Zambian government officials, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Afriuca (COMESA) free-trade group leaders, US embassy officers, African Development Bank officials and the CEOs of major Zambian mobile operators. The launch celebrated the first container of World Panels that arrived in World Panel Zambia’s Lusaka warehouse.
 Jacob Sikazwe, a well-known Zambian business leader who led the creation and then chaired Zambia’s Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission said, “I’ve worked for many years to empower people in rural Africa to improve their economic well-being and opportunities in life. This utility-grade personal solar charger finally delivers on my dream to aid and empower people living without regular access to electricity.”
The first shipment contained thousands of World Panel 500 combo-pack units with the patented solar panel technology plus a bundled 5000-milliamp Powerbank and bright ten-bulb LED light. The technology will be distributed in rural and urban COMESA regions. The company indicated that it plans to ship one million World Panel units to the COMESA region in 2015.
John Anderson, the inventor and CEO of US-based World Panel Inc and an  expert in micro-solar technology and business sustainability, said, “with only 8% of rural Zambia connected to an electrical grid, our distributed green energy solution can significantly increase that level in three years at a fraction of the cost of traditional energy solutions. We are honored to deliver our first containers into Zambia.”
Designed and tested in the Sub-Saharan communities of Africa,  World Panel  solar panels can charge virtually any phone, tablet, and other electronic device that uses a USB cord as quickly as plugging it into the wall.  The  battery packs can continue charging and operating electronic devices into the night.
For a few days, we have a 5 minute video in our Tech Video spot on the home page where  John Anderson explains the technology and use cases of World Panel