Rural lighting
Practical Action
near in a tropical climate; they also use much more fuel than wick lamps, and are troublesome to
start. Cylinder gas lights provide a slightly more expensive but a more convenient alternative.
All combustion lamps and candles pose a real fire risk and contribute to indoor air pollution and
its related health problems. They also emit greenhouse gases which increase global temperatures
and change weather patterns. Kerosene and butane are expensive and sometimes in short supply
in developing countries. Not only does fuel need to be bought but it may also mean a long journey
to the market to acquire it.
Therefore the rest of the technical brief addresses the use of electric lighting in rural 'off-grid'
locations.
Electrical lighting in rural areas
Solar photovoltaic lanterns
Solar lanterns are an all in one system that houses
the battery storage and controls along with the
lighting unit. They are easy to use and do not require
any installation. There are many solar powered
lanterns available. Practical Action (then ITDG)
formed a partnership with Sollatek, a company that
specialises in solar and electronics manufacture, to
develop two versions of a robust solar lantern called
the Glowstar and the Glowstar plus. Costs for a
solar powered lantern can range from less than £10
to more than £100 with varying performance.
Home electrical systems
Low-cost systems that require a small amount of
electricity usually from a renewable energy source
and using florescent lighting (or increasingly
WLEDs) can be installed into many locations. They
Figure 4: Testing a solar WLED lantern in
Nepal. Photo: Practical Action Nepal.
sometimes are provided in kit form and are linked to
a mini grid or are linked to their own energy supply
such as a wind turbine or solar panel when there is a reasonable source of power. Correct
assessment and placement of solar panels and wind turbines is important is important in making
these technologies work efficiently.
Batteries
Energy generated by a solar
panel of wind turbine
needs to be stored until it
is required and this is done
using batteries. Solar
lanterns have an inbuilt
rechargeable battery.
Photovoltaic
panel
Connecting
wires &
switches
Florescent
lights
It is possible to use
disposable batteries (i.e.
dry cells) which are bought
ready charged and thrown
away when exhausted.
These are convenient to
use but extremely
expensive in terms of
electrical energy costs and
need to be transported and
Controller
Battery
Figure 5: A simple solar system for lighting.
Illustration: Practical Action / Neil Noble.
Small electrical
equipment such as
radios and mobile
phones can be
charged on some
systems.
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