Battling climate change is something that needs to be done on every scale. Whether there are massive disruptions worldwide, on industrial scale or small improvements in someone’s personal life: they all matter. That is what Swiss startup hiLyte Power proves. They’ve invented a battery that is powered by simple, easy to obtain consumables that put no strain on the planet. HiLyte’s CEO Briac Barthes (pictured in the middle) is currently in Tanzania, where he’s aiming to change the lives of poor families, one battery at a time.
HiLyte Power makes batteries, but not your average lithium ones. The product they’ve developed instead uses a piece of paper, a simple iron plate and some iron salt mixed with water. That’s all their battery needs to produce five hours of light. The battery even comes equipped with a USB-port, so people can charge their phone. Once the battery runs out, the consumables can be discarded without putting a strain on the environment. And new consumables are easy and cheap to obtain. This allows poor families in third world countries to stay connected or to light their home in a cheap and sustainable way.