Thumbnails Images Information
Little Sun, 2012 - Addis Ababa, 2012 - Photo: Merklit Mersha
Little Sun, 2012
Addis Ababa, 2012
Photo: Merklit Mersha
Little Sun, 2012 - Photo: Studio Olafur Eliasson, 2014
Little Sun, 2012
Photo: Studio Olafur Eliasson, 2014
Little Sun, 2012 - Photo: Studio Olafur Eliasson, 2014
Little Sun, 2012
Photo: Studio Olafur Eliasson, 2014
Little Sun, 2012 - Addis Ababa, 2012 - Photo: Merklit Mersha
Little Sun, 2012
Addis Ababa, 2012
Photo: Merklit Mersha
Little Sun, 2012 - Addis Ababa, 2012 - Photo: Michael Tsegaye
Little Sun, 2012
Addis Ababa, 2012
Photo: Michael Tsegaye
Little Sun, 2012 - Addis Ababa, 2012 - Photo: Terhas Berhe
Little Sun, 2012
Addis Ababa, 2012
Photo: Terhas Berhe
Little Sun, 2012 - Addis Ababa, 2012 - Photo: Michael Tsegaye
Little Sun, 2012
Addis Ababa, 2012
Photo: Michael Tsegaye
Little Sun, 2012 - Milan, 2012 - Photo: Marco Beck Peccoz
Little Sun, 2012
Milan, 2012
Photo: Marco Beck Peccoz
Little Sun, 2012 - Addis Ababa, 2012 - Photo: Terhas Berhe
Little Sun, 2012
Addis Ababa, 2012
Photo: Terhas Berhe
Little Sun, 2012 - San Francisco, 2013 - Photo: Gustavo Huber
Little Sun, 2012
San Francisco, 2013
Photo: Gustavo Huber
Little Sun, 2012 - Addis Ababa, 2012 - Photo: Helen Zeru
Little Sun, 2012
Addis Ababa, 2012
Photo: Helen Zeru
Little Sun, 2012 - The Davis Enterprise, California, 2014 - Photo: The Davis Enterprise
Little Sun, 2012
The Davis Enterprise, California, 2014
Photo: The Davis Enterprise
Little Sun, 2012 - Doha, 2012 - Photo: Penny Wang
Little Sun, 2012
Doha, 2012
Photo: Penny Wang
Little Sun, 2012 - Uganda, 2013 - Photo: Living Goods
Little Sun, 2012
Uganda, 2013
Photo: Living Goods
Little Sun, 2012 - Addis Ababa, 2012 - Photo: Olafur Eliasson
Little Sun, 2012
Addis Ababa, 2012
Photo: Olafur Eliasson
Little Sun, 2012 - Addis Ababa, 2012 - Photo: Merklit Mersha
Little Sun, 2012
Addis Ababa, 2012
Photo: Merklit Mersha
Sketch for Little Sun, 2012
Sketch for Little Sun, 2012
Sketch for Little Sun, 2012
Sketch for Little Sun, 2012
Sunlight graffiti, 2012 - Tate Modern, London, 2012
Sunlight graffiti, 2012
Tate Modern, London, 2012
Sunlight graffiti, 2012 - Tate Modern, London, 2012
Sunlight graffiti, 2012
Tate Modern, London, 2012
Sunlight graffiti, 2012 - Tate Modern, London, 2012
Sunlight graffiti, 2012
Tate Modern, London, 2012
Test for Sunlight graffiti, 2012 - Studio Olafur Eliasson, 2012
Test for Sunlight graffiti, 2012
Studio Olafur Eliasson, 2012
Test for Sunlight graffiti, 2012 - Studio Olafur Eliasson, 2012
Test for Sunlight graffiti, 2012
Studio Olafur Eliasson, 2012
Little Sun, 2012 - Photo: Maddalena Valeri, 2012
Little Sun, 2012
Photo: Maddalena Valeri, 2012
Little Sun, 2012 - Photo: Studio Olafur Eliasson, 2012
Little Sun, 2012
Photo: Studio Olafur Eliasson, 2012
Little Sun, 2012 - Photo: Michael Tsegaye, 2012
Little Sun, 2012
Photo: Michael Tsegaye, 2012
Little Sun, 2012 - Photo: Terhas Berhe, 2012
Little Sun, 2012
Photo: Terhas Berhe, 2012
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Olafur Eliasson’s solar light-based project Little Sun is a work of art that works in life. With Little Sun, light becomes a vehicle to affect change in the everyday lives of people across the globe, providing a way to live independently outside the electrical grid system. Eliasson worked with engineer Frederik Ottesen to develop the Little Sun solar LED lamp in order to get clean, affordable light to the 1.2 billion people worldwide without electricity, living in ‘off-grid’ areas. Little Sun is at once a global project, a social business, and a way of connecting the world through sharing light while making solar energy accessible to everyone.

In off-grid areas the portable solar lamps supply a clean alternative to toxic and unsafe fuel-based lighting like kerosene lanterns, the smoky emissions of which cause users significant health problems. Switching from kerosene to Little Sun light at night means children can study, families can cook together, businesses can remain open, and people can socialise – safely. While promoting health, access to clean light increases productivity and enhances quality of life.

Designed in close dialogue with users in Ethiopia, Little Sun is the first solar lamp to incorporate aesthetic and practical feedback from off-grid African regions. The Ethiopian meskel flower, a national symbol of positivity and beauty, inspired the lamp’s unique design.

Little Sun is sold not only in off-grid areas, but around the world. The distribution system establishes an important connection between disparate regions: in countries with electricity, every Little Sun sold delivers one Little Sun to an off-grid African community at a locally affordable price.

As a social business, Little Sun handles its distribution in a sustainable way that benefits off-grid communities, creates local jobs, and generates local profits. Little Sun works with off-grid entrepreneurs to build their own small businesses selling Little Sun lamps, providing them with business starter kits and micro-entrepreneurial training.

An accessible introduction to the functions of solar energy made easy and personal, Little Sun is a tool educating users about energy access, utilising natural resources, and how individual action can make a global impact.