Making Power Personal: Sustainably Lighting Homes in Developing Countries
Communities worldwide are suffering from an insufficient power
industry. Power-grids are the acclaimed resource for community, business, and
home electricity. However, the costs to build and maintain these power-grids in
developing countries and rural communities are astronomical, requiring billions
of dollars every year to remain operational with not enough results. Rural and
developing communities benefit from basic power resources, such as lights and
multifunction power systems. Solar power offers the same benefits and more
advantages than power grids, now less-expensive than ever, incredibly reliable,
and significantly better for the environment. Solar
powered lights alone can make a dent in significant world issues other than
electricity.
Developing communities that are off the power grid but use solar
power benefit from economic, academic, and social empowerment. Shown through a survey from Santa Clara University’s Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship,
the research revealed that the use of solar powered lanterns had several benefits for families and
communities alike. 90% of parents in a Tanzanian rural community reported that
their children had better grades and improved academically with extra hours of
light for studying. Instead of having to read and study using poor light from
kerosene lamps, LED and incandescent lamps provided the best setting. Like
their children, working adults reported increased productivity
after-sunset each evening. In total, solar powered lights gave each person 27
days of increased productivity in a single year.
Other economic benefits included financial stability. Households
that were no longer spending money on kerosene or wood fuel were able to pay
for food, water, educational supplies, household goods, and more. As previously
mentioned with increased productivity, many reported being able to continue
work by the light of solar lanterns on their personal business or work past sunset, providing
additional income. Non-governmental organizations and for-profit companies that
help communities develop economically stated that the solar industry has
created thousands of jobs locally, from sales to installation
and maintenance.
In accordance with the economic situation in many of these
communities, solar power lights and other products are often paid through
payment plans over time. Companies like d.light ensure that every product is warranted, making sure that the
local dealer can repair or replace each lamp if there is an issue. Solar
lights never run out of an energy source, empowering households to have
long-term sustainable power without the issues of power-grids or community
development. Efficient lighting has become incredibly inexpensive in
the last decade and is expected to continue to develop sustainable,
economical, and durable solutions to power poverty.
About d.light
d.light develops solar power lanterns and other solar products
for off-grid people who lack access to reliable energy. This for-profit, social
impact enterprise’s solutions have helped more than 75 million people in over
60 countries worldwide.
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