Rural lighting
Practical Action
the same duty cycle which would cost typically £75-150 per year.
Although the price of solar panels and small-wind generators is still high they are declining in real
terms as production increases, markets expand and awareness increases while the price of
kerosene will continue to rise. There are tens of thousands of small photovoltaic lighting systems
in use in developing countries and tens of thousands of wind-powered lighting systems,
particularly in China.
To overcome the difficulties associated with the high initial costs of renewable energy systems for
low income households in developing countries, financing schemes are often set up where the
user can pay for the equipment in installments or rent the equipment off the supplier. Grameen
Skakti has managed to install 300,000 solar home systems in Bangladesh using small loan
schemes.
Further information
Candle Making Practical Action Technical Brief
Kerosene and Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) Practical Action Technical Brief
Biogas Practical Action Technical Brief
Energy for Rural Communities Practical Action Technical Brief
Batteries Practical Action Technical Brief
Wind for Electricity Generation Practical Action Technical Brief
Solar Photovoltaic Energy Practical Action Technical Brief
Solar Energy: A Reference Guide for Users Practical Action Technical Brief
Rural Lighting: A guide for development workers Jean-Paul Louineau, Modibo Dicko,
Peter Fraenkel, Roy Barlow & Varis Bokalders, Practical Action Publishing, 1994
The Lumina Project http://light.lbl.gov/technology-assessment.html
http://light.lbl.gov/best-practices.html
Solar Lanterns Tests, GTZ (now GIZ)
http://www.lightingafrica.org/files/1938-09_GTZ_Solarleuchten_engl02.pdf
Also see further information from Lighting Africa
http://www.lightingafrica.org/resource/briefing-notes.html
http://www.lightingafrica.org/resource/market-research.html
http://www.lightingafrica.org/resource/technical-research.html
http://www.lightingafrica.org/resource/resources-other-organizations.html
http://www.lightingafrica.org/newsroom/latest-publications.html
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