Off-grid solar systems will provide affordable, reliable and sustainable energy to rural households, help residents reduce or cease the hazardous practice of indoor kerosene/paraffin/candle use, and promote social and economic development.
Background
Lake Bunyonyi lies in Southwestern Uganda, surrounded by verdant hills and adjacent to many villages and communities. These villages are isolated, with most residents identifying as small-scale farmers. Due to geographic isolation and affordability concerns, power grids generally do not connect to these villages. With an average household daily income of about $2, community members lack options for safe and reliable electricity and lighting. Here, we test the hypothesis that off-grid household solar energy devices are safer than available alternative energy sources. We further hypothesize that these devices directly contribute to better health, education, income, and wellbeing of community members.
Methods
The Off-Grid Solar Pilot Program was launched by GLI to better accommodate the electricity needs of community members. The program began with an energy needs survey conducted with community members to understand their needs and experiences, as well as their preferred solutions or interventions. The marketing strategies used to engage more community members in the renewable energy practice are poster/flyer, word of mouth, and implementation of an agent-based model. Flexible financial options are introduced to ensure all households can acquire an off-grid energy system, which include options to pay upfront in cash, pay in installments, or rent the device. Lastly, GLI has introduced a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework to measure the short- and long-term impact of renewable solar energy in households, which measures changes in social, economic, and environmental conditions subsequent to the introduction of household solar energy devices.
Results
Analysis indicates that the amount of money households spend buying kerosene, paraffin, and candles can exceed the cost of a reliable off-grid energy system in the long term. Community members who participated in the early trial of the off-grid solar pilot program have confirmed improvements in various aspects of life including overall health, education, and relationships.
