CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE - FINALIST
RWANDA

In Sub Saharan Africa just one in ten rural people has access to electricity, Villages are, quite literally, left in the dark. There is little prospect the national grid will expand signficantly any time soon, so the hunt is on for off-grid answers. Founded in 2008 by students studying electrical and electronic engineering at Imperial College in London, e.quinox is offering one solution - the little shop of light. e.quinox has set up its first solar energy kiosk in Gakenke district in Rwanda.

Sealed "battery boxes" are on constant charge rotation, and so when the lights go dim villagers can come and swap their box for a fresh one. The students dream is to have a sun-powered recharging kiosk in every isolated village.