First Solar Kiosk Opens In Ethiopia

Readily available electricity is a luxury many take for granted but for many in underdeveloped parts of the world, it's a dream they couldn't have imagined. Now a German company is trying to change that. They have opened the first ever solar kiosk near Lake Langano, Ethiopia. The kiosk has solar panels along the roof that take advantage of the arid countryside and a day of charging is enough to run a refrigerator, provide lighting, run cellphones, charge car batteries, and even run a computer. Most importantly, the kiosk sells power to the local community for whom kerosene has been the only option. Kerosene is expensive and often dangerous, giving off fumes and risking injury. The hope is that the kiosks will eventually serve as a community center where locals can come watch television, movies, or buy products that they normally wouldn't have access to.

For a lot of communities it would also be their only refrigerator and could hold perishable medical supplies.The kiosk is also a provider of employment and training to locals and employees would receive training in how to maintain and operate solar products as well as training on creating a sustainable business. With the first functional SolarKiosk operating in Ethiopia, the creators are now looking for business partners and NGO's who can help bring the kiosks to other parts of the world where they are most needed.