Lytefire
People make the change. It cannot come from technology only. To make sustainable changes happen in energy we work with everybody, NGOs, DIYers, schools, artisans, ... and you.
1 Humanitarian
We provide hardware and training to create sustainable jobs. We do it for our humanitarian clients to reinforce the local economy and livelihoods, to protect forests and improve the air quality.
2 Do-it-Yourself
Build your own direct solar energy access with the Lytefire construction guides.
Trusted by
Major NGOs and impact organizations around the world
Lytefire’s Users: What They Say
Real users
"When the sun rises and the sky is blue, I am sure it’s a good baking day. Our demand rose to 40kg a day and it’s impressive to see how well the Lytefire can handle this. It’s a joy for me and my bakers to bake tray after tray with solar."
"Receiving the Lytefire Solar oven has improved our lives. We are glad to testify the beauty in using solar energy because it’s cheap, user friendly and we no longer spend money on electricity or charcoal."
"Throughout the process, Lytefire proved itself as an innovative, resourceful, and thoughtful partner in Uganda. They offer an impressive product, and back it with in-depth knowledge and supportive staff. The Lytefire units have a triple impact of fighting climate change, enhancing food security, and supporting rural entrepreneurship. This technology has great potential to help the world. I am pleased to recommend Lytefire."
"Such a great example of sustainable innovation supporting local entrepreneurship, livelihoods, and school meals. Thank you for the inspiring initiative and for the important collaboration, Lytefire!"
Delicious food!
Baking and cooking with direct solar energy doesn’t change the taste of food. Same quality, but with solar energy. It is also possibe to do food canning, baking, roasting, and cooking.
Can you see how simple and powerful this is? About the tech →
Human scale
“ With this solar fire, no need for electricity and no need to burn anything anymore. The mirrors concentrate the sunlight directly. Oh and if you are wondering why there are no PV, no batteries, no rare earth metals, it is because in many places simplicity is the best approach to support people locally.” — Eva and Urs, co-founders Lytefire
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Building the Direct Solar Economy
Time to check on our journey!
Step one was to test and try our ideas about a direct solar economy, meaning how can the use of direct sunshine impact the economy positively. It’s a multi-factorial impact:
- Environment preservation (no more wood burning)
- Health protection (no more breathing in of lethal dark particles)
- Women empowerment (no more hours gathering wood and watching the fire)
- Wealth creation (a powerful and steady energy source can power business)
At that point we praise solar cooking and we wanted to go a bit beyond that, to bring the spirit into commercial activities such as baking for example. So at first, we worked in Kenya in partnership with Weconomy, World Vision Finland and World Vision Kenya. This was in 2016 and we have documented the very first and successful production of solar bread and solar peanut butter.
In 2017-2018, a strategic partnership with Autodesk and Wärtislä allowed us to train and empower 54 entrepreneurs in 9 projects in Kenya and Tanzania. We observed, we documented what works, what doesn’t.
This lead to the opening of a very nice solar bakery led by women in Tanzania.
These projects created with our humanitarian partners and clients have set the basis of a direct solar economy where artisans and entrepreneurs adapted their work to the availability of the solar energy source. And that’s not a small thing to do as you can imagine.
In France, the successful solar bakery Neoloco started in 2020, has attracted lots of attention and is invited to share at many universities about their specific solar work organization. This great example is inspiring to many.
Fast forward to 2025, the Solar Fire Bakery created in 2022 in Kisumu, Kenya, was awarded the Prix Afrique Excellence. It is Africa’s first solar bakery, and it’s powered by a Lytefire.
That same year, another strategic partnership with the Jansen PrimeSteps Foundation, allowed us to focus more on incubation while supporting the start of several solar bakeries.
These are the seeds of an emerging direct solar economy that is now starting everywhere, with users from Kenya to France, from Uganda to Senegal.
