Alum's solar lamps help rural villages

CNN.com (March 6) -- In Asia and Africa, nearly 1.5 billion people live in "off the grid" villages with an acute electricity shortage. Often their only source of light is kerosene lamps, which expose families to toxic fumes and risk of home fires. Illinois engineering alumnus Patrick Walsh launched Greenlight Planet to change that. The Chicago-based company produces solar-powered lamps geared toward these rural communities. Since launching in 2009, the startup has sold 1.8 million lamps, which cost between $11 and $40, the equivalent of about two weeks wages in those communities. One million were sold in the last ten months alone.