What is the Mirror Lotus?
The Mirror Lotus is our product that we designed to provide efficient and easily accessible solar power. It uses several reflectors to focus light onto the solar panel, increasing the amount of energy produced, as well as having axial rotation to be able to point towards the sun to receive much more direct sunlight, which is much more powerful than indirect sunlight. It will be able to generate electricity no matter where it is, without requiring any extraneous parts or mechanisms.

What is your goal?
Our goal is to improve education in underdeveloped countries. Guinea is a very underdeveloped country that has little access to electricity, especially in remote villages. Due to both the men and women having to do work during the day, and there being no light during the night, they have no time to study and are thus illiterate. Our goal is to distribute the Mirror Lotus across Guinea to these people in remote villages, so they can have light during the night to do other things, such as studying, so they can be more literate.
 
Why did you pick solar power as your power source?
Solar power does not require any resources and is easily accessible. Solar power uses a renewable energy source, the sun, so we will never run out of access to solar power. Solar power doesn’t involve the burning of fossil fuels, so it is environmentally friendly. It also doesn’t require large factories or buildings to generate this electricity, so it is perfect for use in a remote village in Guinea.

Why is solar power better than other alternative energy sources, such as wind power?
Solar power has the greatest benefit in the sunny location of Guinea. Solar power may have some drawbacks such as limited sun exposure during cloudy days and no sun exposure during the night, but due to Guinea being close to the equator and the weather being very sunny, solar power is a very efficient source of energy. Wind power would be much less efficient, due to requiring very large towers and a very windy location.
 
Is the Mirror Lotus portable? How will you distribute it?
The Mirror Lotus is easily portable, and will be sent across the sea by ships and then distributed to villages by trucks. The reflectors close up for compact storage, and the reflectors component can easily detach and reattach to the base. We are going to ship the disassembled Mirror Lotuses to ports in Guinea, where they will then be loaded onto trucks that will distribute them across Guinea. They will then be reassembled when they arrive in the villages.
 
Does the Mirror Lotus require maintenance? How long will it last before it has to be replaced?
The Mirror Lotus does not require regular maintenance, and should last for a long time before needing to be replaced. Maintenance can help to lengthen the lifetime of the product, but even without it, it should only lose 0.5% efficiency per year. It will not needed to be replaced very often, only 4-5 times per century, as solar panels usually last at least 25 years before needing to be replaced.
 
What makes your product innovative? Why is the Mirror Lotus better than other similar products?
The Mirror Lotus is innovative because of it’s simplicity. There are many products out there that perform its function as intended, but the instructions on how to use them are nearly impossible to understand. Instead of designing a complex machine that requires vast knowledge of its controls  to be able to operate it, we have designed a simple apparatus that even a child could use.
 
Is the Mirror Lotus easy to assemble and use?
Yes, due to its simplicity, The Mirror Lotus is very easy to assemble and use. The Mirror Lotus has very few parts to assemble. The only assembly required is attaching the reflectors to the base.The only thing you need to know to be able to use it is that it needs to be placed in an open area with nothing to block the sunlight, and that you need to turn it towards the sun for maximum efficiency. We will also have guides to explain to the villagers how to use the product.
 
How much does it cost to make the Mirror Lotus? Is it easy to mass-produce?
The Mirror Lotus is very inexpensive and simple to make. The only costly part of it would be the actual solar panel, as well as the battery we use to store the electricity, which shouldn’t cost more than $50. The rest is made out of wood, cardboard, or aluminum foil, which are virtually costless. The product can be assembled by a single person within a few hours, so it should be easy to mass-produce.