Powered by a small solar panel, this lamp is Object No 100 in the History of the World in 100 Objects exhibition.
Chosen to reflect our ingenuity and the challenges we face in the 21st century, the object uses the same silicon-chip technology that can also be found in computers and mobile phones.
It is an important object because as the curator Becky Allen explains: “Some of the poorest countries in the world are also the hottest and there are many families living in these areas who have never been connected to the electric grid or main land phone lines. When you have objects such as this, which are cheap to make and cheap to buy and also non-toxic as opposed to kerosene, that is currently used, it can change lives in quite a big way.”
Exposing this cell to eight hours of bright sunshine provides up to 100 hours of lamp light. As it costs little to run, it is an efficient option for getting power in those remote areas.
aseaman@thenational.ae
• This is the last in our series on A History of the World in 100 Objects. The exhibition, at Manarat Al Saadiyat on Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, closes on August 1
