Power to the People: Solar Applications Quiz

Answer: Water pumps

Obtaining water can take up a good part of the day for people living in remote locations without access to plumbing. Additionally, surface water can be contaminated, thus causing illnesses in those who use it. Solar water pumps are used to access underground fresh water supplies, allowing wells to often be built right where the villagers live.

A project in the Kalahari Desert of southern Africa, for example, tapped into a freshwater lake located 100 feet below the surface to provide water not only for people but also for their livestock and their crops.

Answer: Schools

Solar electric systems are placed on the roofs of schools, and the energy generated is used not only for powering lights and equipment for the school to use during the day but also for storing energy for use after dark. The schools then become community centers where the villagers can meet for classes and social events.

Some systems generate enough electricity to allow the school to sell it; people come to the school and pay to charge their cell phones.

Answer: Drying coffee beans

Small growers often pay to have their harvests dried, so solar drying systems allow them to reduce their costs. Not only does the rainforest benefit from the use of solar technology, the growers also benefit from increased profits. Additionally, since the devices are off-grid systems, they can be used in remote areas, allowing farmers to dry their coffee beans at the location of the harvest.

Answer: Laptops

The "One Laptop per Child" program has supplied several hundred thousand solar-powered, Internet-capable laptops to children around the globe since being founded in the early 2000s. Donors have supported the program, paying for laptops around the world, and there was even a "Give one, Get one" program which allowed people to purchase one laptop for a needy child and one for themselves.

Answer: Ovens

Solar ovens have come a long way since school science fairs. Modern solar ovens can effectively cook everything from meats to breads and run entirely off of solar power. Not only is this a more cost-effective method for people in remote locations, it reduces the need to collect firewood, thus helping to save trees.

Answer: Water purifiers

Not only do solar water purifiers kill pathogens through exposure to UV radiation, they also can purify salt water by separating the salt by evaporation. Large scale water purifiers are available to provide drinking water to communities that previously had to take their chances with less-than-sanitary water. Additionally, a small scale process called SODIS uses plastic water bottles to purify water through UV radiation, although there has been some criticism of the safety of this program.

Answer: Lights/lanterns

Solar lighting has improved since the days when a fully-charged lantern would only provide a weak light for a few hours. Lanterns can now be placed outside during the day and then be brought in at night to provide several hours of bright light. Solar light bulbs are also available; they are also charged outside during the day and then are brought in at night and can be hung by themselves or in a lighting fixture.

Besides being safer, solar lighting also reduces pollution by replacing kerosene.

Answer: Wi-fi systems

Solar-powered wi-fi devices are used to provide access to the Internet in remote locations. Consisting of a small solar panel, a battery, antenna, ethernet and a router, the equipment is placed on a rooftop and can even run for a few weeks on low sunlight.

Besides allowing people to surf the net, the wi-fi systems allows them to make phone calls over the Internet, thus connecting them quickly to other parts of their country and the world.

Answer: Vaccine storage

Vaccine spoilage has been a major problem in remote areas of the world where cold storage isn't available. If the vaccines are not maintained within a particular temperature range from the time they are produced until they are used (called the Cold Chain), the effectiveness of the vaccines is greatly reduced.

The availability of the small, transportable refrigerators allows vaccines to be administered in places where it previously wasn't possible.

Answer: Cell phone

There are solar-powered chargers which can be used to charge many devices, but solar-powered cell phones are self-contained; they don't need a separate charger. They are particularly popular in areas of Africa and Asia where there is plenty of sunshine and where electricity is unreliable or not available.