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MIT brings electricity to Lesotho with solar panels, auto parts

Michael Kanellos Staff Writer, CNET News.com
Michael Kanellos is editor at large at CNET News.com, where he covers hardware, research and development, start-ups and the tech industry overseas.
Michael Kanellos

Students at MIT have combined a parabolic solar panel with a generator that can be repaired with discarded auto parts to bring electricity to villages in Lesotho.

The system is sized to produce about 1 kilowatt of electricity. While that wouldn't go far in a U.S. household, it's a big change for the African nation, where only ten percent of the population has access to electricity. Heating water typically involves gathering firewood.