Solar Light Bulbs Brighten Relief Effort In Earthquake-Stricken Turkey

Nokero solar light bulbs charge by day and provide hours of light each night for about a year and a half before the battery must be replaced.

If only every relief effort were this sustainable.

More than one thousand ShelterBox relief kits have been sent to southeastern Turkey since a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck the province of Van one month ago. Each kit contains five Nokero-brand solar light bulbs of the type pictured above, which can be hung so that the miniature solar panel faces the sun.

Greener and more reliable

Since the Oct. 23 earthquake and multiple powerful aftershocks, millions of Turks have been left without power in Van. As the days grow shorter, the lack of electric lighting in the region is becoming a more and more serious problem.

British charity ShelterBox is doing its part to help with an ingenious solution: Nokero solar light bulbs. Nokero bulbs are not only completely solar-powered, they are more durable, weather-proof and long-lasting than regular light bulbs, making them ideal for disaster relief situations.

The bulbs can last for 5 to 10 years if properly cared for, and only require a new battery every 1.5 years. Powered by a single rechargeable AA battery, the bulbs maintain charging efficiency even under extreme meteorological conditions.

Why not for everyday use?

The advantages of the Nokero bulbs beg an important question: Why should they only be used in disaster relief situations?

Turkey is a notoriously sunny country, and while major solar power infrastructure will need serious government support to become viable, there’s no reason that Van locals shouldn’t continue to use their Nokero bulbs long after their homes are rebuilt. With a retail price of $20 each, in fact, there’s no reason that anyone living in a sunny clime shouldn’t invest in one for a porchlight or other nighttime outdoor lamp.

A more sustainable future for Van

If there is any bright side to the devastating earthquake that has killed hundreds of Turks and left millions more homeless, it is that the event has provided an opportunity for stronger, more sustainable infrastructure in a part of the country historically neglected by the central government.

By using strawbale building technology, for example, residents of the rebuilt Van could construct houses that are twice as energy-efficient and far more durable than the quick-build, rickety, concrete structures that collapsed in the earthquakes.

:: Earth Techling

Read more about environmentally friendly lighting:

Help Kickstart A Sustainable Lighting Project

Solar Bottle Lights A Bright Idea For The Developing World

IKEA Israel Stops Selling Incandescent Bulbs

Image via Nokero

Author: Julia Harte

Julia spent her childhood summers in a remote research station in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, helping her father with a 25-year-old experiment in which he simulated global warming over a patch of alpine meadow. When not measuring plant species diversity or carbon flux in the soil, she could be found scampering around the forests and finding snowbanks to slide down. Now she is a freelance journalist living in Istanbul, where her passion for the environment intersects with her interest in Turkish politics and grassroots culture. She also writes about Turkish climate and energy policy for Solve Climate News.

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