It’s easy to take light for granted. After all, it surrounds us. In nature, we delight in the first ray of the sunrise, the midday sun beating down, the glorious spectacle of sunset, the bonfires that we sit around when night falls, the twinkling of stars, the benevolent moon, the bioluminescence of sea creatures, fireflies and other insects.
Artificial light is even more prevalent. Every time we turn on our mobile phones or our laptops, we’re bathed in light. Offices and homes and shops and malls glow with LEDs. Backlit advertising boards and digital advertising screens compete for our attention. And when the sun sinks below the horizons in just about every city, town and village in the developed world, street lamps and store fronts and car lights illuminate the darkest night.
We evolved to need light…Light shapes our moods, makes our modern life possible, creates atmosphere, affects our emotions and what not!
The International Day of Light is a global initiative that provides a platform for the continued appreciation of light and the role it plays in science, culture and art, education and sustainable development, and in fields as diverse as medicine, communications and energy.
The International Day of Light is celebrated on May 16 each year, the anniversary of the first successful operation of the laser in 1960 by physicist and engineer, Theodore Maiman. Recognizing this day is a call to strengthen scientific cooperation and harness its potential to foster peace and sustainable development.
The theme for International Day of Light this year is “Light is Life” It complements the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Pakistan’s support to the Pakistani entrepreneurs particularly in the field of energy, not only to achieve their goals, but to participate in the success and development of the country in every possible way.
Today, to celebrate this historical achievement, and to acknowledge USAID’s work in the sector of energy, let’s learn about those incredible beneficiaries of USAID, who are working the field of energy and participating in lighting up our lives.
Hadron Solar is a Lahore-based enterprise that provides solutions that help reduce energy costs with little upfront cost. The company offers energy-efficient solutions to a wide range of customers in the domestic, agricultural and commercial sectors. Hadron Solar has designed a conversion kit application that fits old air conditioners to allow up to 40 percent in power saving. The conversion kit also eliminates power surge drawn by motor loads at the onset and during load transitions, thus allowing users to operate their air conditioners using off-grid power sources such as solar panels and uninterruptible power supply (UPS). USAID’s grant enabled Hadron Solar to procure machines to upgrade its production capacity and its app. The app enables users to control the conversion kit through their phones/tabs.
Step Robotics provides an Information and Communication Technology-enabled platform to help resolve issues faced by Pakistan’s solar energy industry. It has developed a joint platform for all stakeholders both in the public and private sector to resolve the solar industry’s challenges including solar shading and site analysis, solar proposals and reports, automation of solar net metering applications/meter installations, and most importantly, an online marketplace for solar equipment providers and banks to finance products. Through USAID’s support, Step Robotics has developed an app and a sales management portal that connects solar installers to a comprehensive marketplace with equipment manufacturers and a variety of leasing options to choose from. This allows field staff to propose financing options and right equipment.
InstaEnergy is a woman-led business established in 2018 which works on residential, commercial, industrial and micro-solar projects, by partnering with leading technological companies. They provide clients with the most advanced and efficient solar panels and inverters, alongside photovoltaic systems design technology and software. With assistance from USAID’s Small and Medium Enterprise Activity, Mariam Sarim, the CEO at InstaEnergy, developed a dynamic content management system website along with digital media services. This support is enabling InstaEnergy to increase its sales and revenues by enabling it to market itself more effectively through utilizing digital marketing platforms especially during the COVID lockdown.
