WASHINGTON (October 10, 2014) -- This year's Nobel Prize for Physics was awarded to inventors of LEDs, now being used around the world. However, according to the International Energy Agency and the World Bank, more than a billion people in the world still do not have access to electricity. After sunset, most of them use candles or oil lamps. A company in the Netherlands is trying to change that with its products based on LEDs. When darkness falls, many kids in rural parts of Haiti, Rwanda, or refugee camps in Syria read or do their homework by candlelight or a kerosene -burning lamp. The open flames sometimes cause fires, while poisonous gases lead to respiratory problems. Portable electric light is safer, healthier and now, even cheaper. "This is the first time that artificial light or solar LED is now less expensive than kerosene," said Camille van Gestel, head of a Dutch company called WakaWaka, over Skype. He added WakaWaka, which means "Shine Bright" in Swahili, is the most efficient solar-powered light and phone charger in the world today. When fully charged, it shines for up to 16 hours. It is affordable, sustainable, and its battery lasts for a long time. It can be set up on any flat surface, hung from a ceiling or set on top of a glass bottle. Van Gestel said his company operates like any other business, but some of the money made from selling its products is used to make WakaWaka lights affordable to poor people. He said the plan is supported by international non-government organizations. "The International Rescue Committee was one of the first to actually take the WakaWaka power into Syria, to provide light and power for Syrian refugees, and now the WakaWaka is the most valued non-food item in Syria," said Van Gestel. In the past 24 months, the company has distributed around 300,000 units in places such as Syria, Hati, Rwanda, Indonesia and the Philippines. Its goal is to reach 1.2 billion people by 2030. Which of the following is true with WakaWaka?
Its battery has a longer life than any other battery. It is the most affordable light for the poor. It is a kind of solar energy-saving light. It has to be charged frequently.