Enlightening the World

Little Sun is a social business and global project founded by artist Olafur Eliasson and engineer Frederik Ottesen to bring clean, reliable, affordable energy to the 1.1 billion people in the world living in off-grid areas without electricity. Launched at London’s Tate Modern, the lamps are transforming lives through the power of sustainable energy and intelligent design.

For those living without reliable access to clean energy, life is compromised. Kerosene lanterns are commonly used for light, but they emit toxic smoke and carry the risk of burns and house fires. Using Little Sun light and energy instead means people can work, study, cook, and socialise at night – safely.

Little Sun empowers whole communities by training local entrepreneurs to build profitable small businesses, creating local jobs and developing educational programs, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Little-Sun-Original-in-Ethiopia by Michael-Tsegaye

Spreading Light and Livelihoods

Little Sun puts the power of the sun in the palm of your hand – creating safe, convenient, sustainable light and energy you can take with you wherever you go. But Little Sun is much more than a lamp or a phone charger – it’s a global project and social business that is connecting the world through sharing the sustainable energy of the sun. Access to clean energy and a reliable form of communication are key to human existence. Little Sun addresses both of these needs with a safe, clean alternative. And because sunlight is free, the lamps pay for themselves after just a few months.

Share the Energy

Currently Little Sun is available in over 10 African countries, including in Ethiopia, Senegal, South Africa, Rwanda and Burkina Faso – as well as in Europe, Japan, Australia, Canada, and the USA. They use on-grid investment to kick-start off -grid small businesses that sell Little Suns, providing funding for sales agents to receive business starter kits and micro-entrepreneurial training. Little Suns are sold at a higher price in areas of the world with electricity so that the products can be sold in off-grid areas at much lower, locally affordable prices. So when you buy a Little Sun, you are making sure that sustainable solar energy gets to people who need it the most.

Learn more about Little Sun or get you own: littlesun.com.