Sponsor: PowerFilm

PowerFilm, Inc. is a developer and manufacturer of thin, flexible solar panels based on a proprietary low cost production process. Their product catalog includes words like foldable, rollable, fabric, and membrane. Not what you might typically associate with solar panels, but exactly what we need to withstand the harsh environment, rough handling, and difficult logistics in refugee camps and villages in the desert of eastern Chad, near the border with Darfur. Their consumer line aimed at portable and remote solar power applications includes versions of products they make for military and emergency use, which obviously must have very high quality standards.

We are tremendously grateful to PowerFilm for discounting its rollable solar panel, which is a critical part of the solar lighting system we are developing for Chad. The potential of solar lighting to increase educational opportunities in the refugee camps and villages is enormous, if the difficulties of the operating environment can be overcome, and we are delighted to have the support of an industry innovator in this challenging endeavor.

If you also need solar panels that are portable and rugged, or can be integrated into buildings or fabric surfaces (e.g., tents), we strongly recommend that you visit PowerFilm online at www.powerfilmsolar.com. And, if you are weighing them against other manufacturers, please keep their generosity in mind. When a company cares about more than just their profit margin, they probably care more about their customers, too.