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The Facts
Benefits of electric lighting include:
Economic
• Extends the productive work day
• Conserves foreign exchange
• Costs less than kerosene etc.
Social
• Improves/enables evening study
• Improves literacy
• Decreases alcoholism and other
drug abuse
• Stems urban migration
Environmental
• Reduces greenhouse gas emissions
through a reduction in fossil fuel
use
Health
• Enables 24 hour health care
• Improves indoor air quality
• Reduces fire hazards
In fact, lighting is a primary determinant
of the quality of life.
A Solution
Over the past year or so, a new range
of low-cost, small, battery-charged
devices – for lighting and mobile
phone charging – has appeared on
the market, including in Vanuatu.
Commercial retail prices in Vanuatu are
variously US$20-100, depending on
product type.
Compared to conventional solar
‘home systems’, these have multiple
advantages. They are:
• much cheaper (US$100 for 2-3
lights compared to US$800-1,000
for a ‘two light’ solar home system)
• lighter (often portable, hence
known as ‘lanterns’)
• require no expert installation, and
almost no maintenance
• their light source – Light Emitting
Diodes (LEDs) – have a much
longer life than the conventional
light sources (bulbs, tubes, etc.) .
Plug in to the sun!
“Artificial lighting (electric lighting) is essential
to move beyond subsistence.”
These products are described as
Pico-solar, ‘pico’ meaning very small.
They usually consist of a solar panel
and a combination LED (Light Emitting
Diode) light and in-built battery. These
small systems are compact, robust,
affordable, and are ideal for rural
environments. The advantages of Pico-
solar systems are:
• Affordable (minimal upfront costs)
• No ongoing costs (except
replacement of in-built batteries)
• For lighting, pico-solar outperforms
all other rural options
• Simple installation that can be done
by owner with no training
• No user training is required
• Close to zero maintenance
• They are light and can easily be
returned to Vila for repairs
• They are individually owned and
cared for
• No community organization is
needed to run it , collect fees or
carry out maintenance.
Indeed, these new battery products
are expected to radically change the
market for ‘off-grid household lighting’
and also for solar PV (photovoltaic)
products. Off-grid ‘basic electric
lighting’ is now available at an ‘entry
level’ cost (one light) that is within the
affordability range of an average off-
grid household with monthly kerosene
expenditures of US$5-30 typical for
Vanuatu (thus entailing simple payback
periods of a few months to a year,
depending on the product chosen).
For all Vanuatu people living half
the day in darkness – whether they
live outside the concession areas or
within; arguably, even for those with
grid connections who want a portable
lighting and phone-charging alternative
– these products offer the promise of
a rapid and radical transformation. In
fact, the cost benefit of LED lighting
promises to transform the mains (grid)
electrical lighting market as well,
making on-grid lighting more affordable.
Lighting Vanuatu is a dream that CAN
be realized.
A Way Forward
Thanks to a partnership between
Ashok Gadgil
VANWODS (Vanuatu’s premier
micro-finance institution), VANREPA
(Vanuatu Renewable Energy and
Power Association) and Green Power
(VANREPA’s “trading arm”) thousands
of rural Vanuatu households are
enjoying solar-powered electric lighting
this holiday season.
It is widely recognized that micro-
finance institutions are a vital step
toward sustainable development and
the eradication of poverty. Micro-
finance institutions, also called
MFIs, provide financial services
to underserved individuals and
communities.
VANWODS members, mostly women,
have long been frustrated over the
high price of kerosene and the poor
light that kerosene produces. The
VANWODS members also want their
children to have lights that they can
use for reading and night-time study.
As a result, VANWODS leadership
resolved to develop a loan product to
finance solar lighting. As it turns out,
while VANWODS was developing its
new loan product for solar lighting
(called Homelight) VANREPA/Green
Power was planning its ‘Lighting
Vanuatu’ program. The objective of
Lighting Vanuatu is the removal of
barriers to a rapid transition from
kerosene based lighting to solar-
charged, LED lighting in rural Vanuatu.
The achievements of the VANWODS/
VANREPA/Green Power alliance
include:
• Thousands of rural Vanuatu
households with improved lighting
• Increased awareness of solar
lighting products
• Vanuatu government received
1,987,699 vatu in duty and VAT
• Support to VANWODS, a local
micro-finance institution
Individuals and/or organizations
interested in ‘Lighting Vanuatu’ and/
or helping to spread it to other Pacific
Island Countries are encouraged to
contact David Stein, Team Leader of
VANREPA/Green Power, by phone on
24610 or by email at
solarsolutions@vanuatu.com.vu