Project

SolarAid is doing involves teaching your Malawians to convert a standard, medium sized kerosene "hurricane" lanterns (not pressurized or "tilly" lanterns) into LED solar lanterns. Conversion of the lanterns involves putting rechargeable AA batteries into the chimney and using 3.3V, 25mA LEDs (wired in parallel) to direct light down onto an improvised cone reflector, which sits over the top of the old wick. The reflector is constructed from locally collected materials such as aluminium foil, gift wrap, or the inside of a cigarette packet, and is configured in a conical shape to provide uniform reflection. ©2008 Andy Bodycombe/SolarAid

SA helps to combat climate change and global poverty simply by bringing clean, renewable power to the poorest people in the world. The organization focuses on sub-Saharan Africa, where the need is greatest. The targets are mainly on the rural poor, who are the most impoverished and marginalized from energy networks, although it works with the urban poor if their access to the grid is limited or non-existent. Working through international NGOs and local partner organizations, SolarAid builds DIY solar and installations using a microbusiness approach that encourages beneficiaries to develop their own solar or solar-powered businesses and sustainable technologies.

Microsolar, a ground-breaking model
SolarAid’s microsolar approach is pioneering. It identifies entrepreneurs in developing countries, who are then trained in business planning, market research and solar skills. SA helps them set up their solar microbusinesses so that they can build and sell solar lanterns and solar chargers for radios and mobile phones. This came out of research that showed that the average household in a developing country spends between 10-20% of its income on kerosene for lighting, single use batteries for their radios, and charging their mobile phones. Plus kerosene smoke is toxic; the average kerosene lamp, used widely across the developing world, creates around a ton of carbon over seven years. Replacing these lamps with solar lanterns will lead to significant reductions in carbon emissions. Single use batteries are polluting, and mobile phone chargers need access to the electric grid, which most rural areas in developing countries do not have and probably will never have. SA’s solar entrepreneurs convert kerosene lamps into solar lanterns using light emitting diodes (LEDs, which are cheaper, robust and use little energy) and build solar chargers from local materials and imported solar glass. These solar products can then fulfill much of the average household's energy needs, leading to a substantial increase in their income because they no longer need to buy kerosene or batteries. The solar entrepreneurs make money, too - a win-win situation.

Macrosolar, power for communities
SA’s macrosolar work involves installing larger solar systems on schools, community centers and health clinics. Barely 2% of rural populations in most African countries have access to the grid, forcing them to rely on kerosene, candles, car batteries and firewood for fuel. Schools cannot teach in the evenings; community centers cannot offer services such as educational videos or vocational training; and health clinics cannot power basic medical equipment such as vaccine fridges. Yet a standard 300 watt system installed on the roof of a school, community centre or clinic can solve all these issues. In Uganda, for instance, SA isinstalling a solar system on the community office of the Katine Project, a program run by development charity AMREF and the Guardian newspaper and funded by Barclays bank. In Malawi, SA installed a 300 watt system on a community centre, the only place now with electricity for miles around. In South Africa, SA installed a solar system on an orphanage. And it is starting to install systems on hundreds of schools, community centers and health clinics in Tanzania and Zambia over the next four years.

Resources

Solar Aid (International)