It was in Calais (Pas-de-Calais), during a humanitarian mission in the makeshift camps where several thousand refugees live, that a light bulb suddenly lit up above the head of Louis Zoccoli Cudgel. What if, to give a boost to those who live on the streets, or in slums, he created a small photovoltaic panel to take everywhere? Especially since this Montpellier, student in ecological transition, knows a lot about it: for years he has been organizing workshops, to learn how to make his own solar panels, at home, in two strokes of a soldering iron.
“I noticed that there was a big need, in the refugee camps, confides Louis Zoccoli Gourdin. There’s really no way for them to charge their phones. There are, of course, humanitarian associations that deploy generators, but it’s not very ecological, nor very practical. My idea is for the refugees to produce their own electricity, thanks to a small photovoltaic panel. A solidarity initiative, which aims to break the isolation of people in need, and to give them a little help. “A telephone, in our society, is crucial,” continues the young man. It allows, of course, to call loved ones, but also to find information, to find directions, to shed light… It’s a precious thing when you’re on the street. »
A solar panel the size of an A4 sheet
With his idea in mind, the student from Montpellier, an inventor at heart, moved heaven and earth to find the components needed to create this innovative device. And he managed to make an energy kit, consisting of a solar panel the size of an A4 sheet, and multi-tip cables, to connect the supports to be charged. His initiative was rewarded last year by the Déclic Jeunes competition of the Fondation de France, which awarded him an envelope of 6,000 euros.
To humanitarian associations, which work with the homeless or refugees, the company of Louis Zoccoli Gourdin, Solar Experience, sells these energy kits at cost price, without any profit. The Montpellier also hopes to send some soon to Turkey, or Ukraine. The small solar panels of Louis Zoccoli Gourdin will also be sold to individuals and businesses. Researchers from Montpellier, who regularly go on a mission to Africa, have also contacted the young man, to take these energy kits with them, to connect mosquito traps.