Green energy powering Tibetans' daily lives

LHASA - When Lhapa's hands are busy gripping the steering wheel and he is unable to turn his prayer wheel, solar energy kicks in and turns it for him.

Powered by a 4-cm-long, 2-cm-wide solar battery, the 15-cm-high golden prayer wheel mounted on his dashboard steadily whirls and sends out prayers to Buddha.

"They are very cheap, just 30 yuan ($4.4), and you can buy them from any booth on the street," said Lhapa, who lives in Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet autonomous region.