The ST2

Realized I haven't actually shared any info about the products we are selling. The Hike for Light is a campaign highlighting our solar lanterns, the premier model of which is the ST2. ST stands for Sun Transfer, a German owned partner company that manufactures the lanterns.

These lanterns retail in off-grid communities for Php 3,500, roughly $80. This is a big expense for our customers, and is almost always accompanied by a micro-loan, typically repaid over 6 months. The cost savings to pay for this loan come from:

1. Eliminated cost of buying kerosene for lighting

2. Eliminated cost of charging cell phone - even families without electricity here have cell phones, and often have to travel great distances and pay to charge them. Owning an ST2 eliminates the charging cost and allows for more productive use of time.

3. Increased income - We have compiled many user stories that show increased income associated with owning a solar lantern. One lady owned a small convenience store, known locally as a Sari Sari store, and saw her income increase substantially from being the only store in the village with a light on in the evening. Another lady was able to guard her fruit trees from bats more effectively with a constant source of bright light at night, and benefited from a much richer harvest.

While these costs savings often cover the loan repayment on a daily basis, most families see this as an investment. One lady related that she would often tell her children to stop studying at night when she went to bed, fearing that they would accidentally knock over the kerosene lantern and set the house on fire. Her children were also not fond of studying in the dim, smokey light. 6 months after receiving a solar lantern, all of her kids had become honor students. The benefit for this woman was elimination of the constant worry that her children would accidentally fall asleep and burn their house down. It's difficult to quantify that in an excel sheet.

Specs for these lanterns included below, taken from the Suntransfer website. For more info you can check out www.suntransfer.com

Light

• 3 settings for light: low / medium / high
• Hours of light with full battery:
  - low: at least 150 hours
  - medium: at least 15 hours
  - high: at least 6 hours
• Remote power on/off switch (cable 3m)

Mobile charger

• USB cable with 8 adapters for the most common mobile phones

Technology

• High-power LED: 90-100 lumen/W
• Module: 2 Wp crystalline silicon solar module with aluminium frame and tempered glass
  Optional power extension up to 4Wp
• Battery: durable, long life GEL-battery 6V / 4.5 Ah
• Water and dust resistant, standard IP 65

Size

• Lamp: 125.6 x 106.5 x 137.4 mm
• Module: 140 x 165 x 15 mm

Options

• Power extention: additional 2 Wp solar module plus wire
• Grid connector