Solar Home System Installation In Tanzania Project Literature Research 

By Jon Standlee, Lalafofofo Summer Intern  

August 14, 2020

Introduction

The purpose of this paper is to present background research in support of a proposed solar home system installation project in rural Tanzania. The study is sponsored by Lalafofofo, Amka Sasa and Makers4Good and will be performed in Hai District, Kilimanjaro Region, located in Northern Tanzania. The background research presented compares two research studies performed in East Africa in 2010 and 2018 on solar power use in off-grid communities. 

The goal of comparing these two studies is to generate recommendations for incorporation of study procedures and measurements for the Tanzania project.

Approximately 1.6 billion people in the world live without electricity (World Bank, 2009). A lack of reliable lighting access limits the productivity of nearly a quarter of the world’s population, hindering the ability to carry out basic activities at night or in the early morning, including household chores, reading and completing schoolwork, and conducting business. 

Given the slow growth of electrification, the global lighting crisis increasingly separates those with reliable lighting from those who lack it, further leaving a substantial proportion of the world’s population further behind. Africa accounts for a major share of the un-electrified. Research suggests that of the approximately 110 million off-grid households across Africa (encompassing 580 million individuals), more than half employ kerosene lamps as their primary light source, with many needing several sources to fill their lighting needs. Other non-renewable off-grid alternatives include candles, biofuels like wood, animal dung, and crop waste, battery powered light devices, and diesel generators for the very richest households and small businesses. These traditional lighting alternatives are typically expensive and often both dangerous and environmentally harmful. Grid expansion is a vital objective and will be a long-term solution for many African households, but for the majority the benefits of better lighting can be captured today through renewable solar light products. 

Because of their low price, durability, and low maintenance costs, solar portable lights (SPL) are today’s most promising low-cost technology for the lighting needs of off-grid BOP populations. But there are several other options like mini-grids and solar home systems (SHS) that compliment the SPL product range today and, in some cases, will become increasingly important alternatives for BOP electrification. Solar Home Systems (SHS) are the most prominent of these small-scale alternative technologies. 

Over the next five years increasing convergence between the SPL and SHS markets, as falling component prices make the smallest SHS packages available at price points comparable to the highest end solar lanterns. Distributors in Africa are already beginning to acknowledge the fact that SPL and SHS are part of the same continuum by adding solar lanterns and torches to their SHS product lineups. Additionally, the blending of lines between the two markets is visible in the “micro-SHS” products currently being targeted by some SPL manufacturers – portable solar lighting devices that are built around the concept of a PV panel that can be attached to one or several LED lights and miniaturized accessories like mobile chargers. Given the still high gap in affordability between average SHS and SPL systems in Africa and, more important, the minimal penetration of solar products (both SHS and SPL are at less than 1% of their addressable markets), there can be no serious talk of competition. 

Description

In support of the rural Tanzania home solar system study, information was analyzed using two benchmark publications. The research studies were compared and contrasted to find the outcome of each study, thus providing a background for our own solar project.

Case Study 1 - Title Macharia, Edwin. 2010. “Solar Lighting For The Base of The Pyramid: Overview of an Emerging Market” https://www.lightingglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Solar-Lighting-for-the-BOP-overview-of-an-emerging-mkt-1.pdf

Study Sponsor: Lighting Africa, Kenya (funded 2009, in part by the World Bank)

Study Objective: Determine how solar power will develop in the 2010s and how the improvement of technology including solar portable lights (SPLs), can impact the recipients of solar in Africa.

Description of Solar Technology: This study focuses on a cross-section of the market termed “solar portable lights” (SPL) – this market has been referred to as “solar lanterns” in earlier industry and development agency literature. 

● Function - Solar-powered lighting systems that range from the task specific (torches/flashlights) to the general ambient lighting functions of solar lanterns. These products can include added functions such as mobile phone charging, but light has to be the primary design driver. The functionality also has to allow easy portability and therefore is distinct from the solar home system market. 

● Technology - The light – typically LED-based, though many products still feature CFL bulbs – has to be rechargeable and must be powered by a solar cell (although not necessarily exclusively), that is integrated or is a stand-alone panel. Given the portability factor, the solar panel size is restricted to 10 watts and below. 

● Quality - The focus of this study is on products that meet basic quality standards (e.g., sufficiently long life and light intensity) to meet the needs of Africa’s un-electrified households.

Study Measurements: The study looks at many different methods for providing light and electricity across Africa. The study analyzes the trends of the solar industry and how the technology will develop over the years. Interviews with over 70 solar market players in 10 African markets and a dozen lighting product manufacturers worldwide. 

How Objectives Were Measured: The objectives for the technological aspect of solar power were measured through articles and data from the manufacturers of the solar units. The impact on communities was measured through surveys, interviews, and studies previously done by other research groups.

Study Outcomes: Solar products with decreasing specialization and increasing lumen output, correlates directly with increasing power output of the solar panel. The bigger the power capacity, the wider the lighting and other functionality that the core product can provide. Solar technology is constantly progressing by making more efficient small scale solar lanterns. Communication between research groups and making research more accessible to the public has helped coordinate the effort to provide electricity to the global south. 

Case Study 2 - Title: Xavier, Lamar. 2018. “Solar Home Systems and Solar Lanterns in Rural Areas of the Global South: What Impact?” https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325740619_Solar_Home_Systems_and_Solar_Lanterns_in_Rural_Areas_of_the_Global_South_what_Impact. 

Study Sponsor: Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment. 

Study Objective: Data review analysis evaluating the impact of solar technology on education, finance, social relations, health, and livelihoods for those benefiting from solar technology in many nations throughout the world.

Description of Databases Used for Study: This study relied predominantly on government acquired data, such as academic electronic databases, archives and the repository of institutions intervening in the field of energy access.

Study Procedure: The researchers reviewed 98 documents on electronic databases and archives by keyword searches. The review was not able to include any documents in other languages and can only be found in a hardcopy format. The study analyzed 30 of the 98 documents reviewed containing substantial surveys with quantitative evidence relying on relatively large samples (complete list of  30 and 108 documents from the first screening can be found in Appendix 1).

Study Measurements: This review looks at the direct and indirect impact of solar systems on occupiers of households: on their education, health, finance, livelihoods and social relations. Impacts have been considered on households’ inhabitants  and their directly  related  economic activities (small retail businesses, small holdings).  It includes documentation evaluating ex-post any benefits but also disadvantages brought by solar systems, relying either on quantitative or qualitative surveys. It does not include evaluation ex-ante (like modelling of impact), internal  evaluation  of projects,  evaluations relying  on simple  discretionary observations, satisfaction surveys  and general impact  surveys on the  environment. It focuses  on ex-post measurable impacts of solar systems once they have been implemented. The review focuses on documents where the main purpose is an attempt to measure the impact of small solar systems, either  as the  main objective of a survey/research  or as  part of a  wider survey/research.Documents  where  impact is  just  mentioned, without providing any specific quantitative or qualitative assessment have not been included. 

Study Outcomes: Using solar power replaces traditional sources of lighting and helps communities in numerous ways. Families save money by not having to rely on kerosine or batteries, the number of fires or burns as a result of kerosine lamps is reduced, and students are able to study for longer periods of time improving education. Solar lanterns will be benefiting rural communities and are also able to increase the utilization of cell phones.

Recommendations

Overall, analyses of the two case studies evaluated in this paper support feasibility of performing a home solar installation project in rural Tanzania. Based on results, it is expected that installation of solar home systems would be useful to the recipients. Case study 2 (Xavier, 2018) showed that providing solar power will most likely result in a greater use of cell phones. 

Bibliography

Arraiz I, Calero C. From Candles to Light: The Impact of Rural Electrification, IDB Working Paper series N, IDB-WP-599, May 2015.

Asaduzzaman M, Yunus M, Enamul Haque AK, Abdul Malek Azad AKM, Neelormi S, Amir Hossain Md. Power from the Sun: An Evaluation of Institutional Effectiveness and Impact of Solar Home Systems in Bangladesh (A report submitted to the World Bank, Washington DC), Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies, May 30 2013.

Bensch G, Peters  J, Sievert M. Fear of the Dark? How Access to Electric Lighting Affects Security Attitudes and Night Time Activities in Rural Senegal. Essen: RWI, 2012.

Bensch G, Grimm M, Langbein J, Peters J. The Provision of Solar Energy to Rural Households through a Fee-for-Service System, Impact Evaluation of Netherlands Supported Programmes in the Area of Energy and Development Cooperation in Burkina Faso, December 2013.

Blunck M. Electricity and Sustainable Development: Impact of Solar Home Systems in Rural Bangladesh, Diploma thesis, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, 2007.

Bond M, Fuller RJ, Aye L. Sizing solar home systems for optimal development impact, Energy Policy, 2012, 42:699–709.  

Buragohain T.  Impact of solar energy in rural development in India, International Journal ofEnvironmental Science and Development, 2012, 3 (4):334–338.

 Chamania S, Chouhan R, Awasthi A, Bendell R, Marsden N, Gibson J, Whitaker IS, Potokar TS. Pilot project in rural western Madhya Pradesh, India, to assess the feasibility of using LED and solar-poweredlanterns to remove kerosene lamps and  related hazards from homes, Burns, 2015, 41:595–603. 

D.Light. D Light Solar Home System Impact Evaluation, D.Light, 2015

Furukawa C. Do Solar Lamps Help Children Study? Contrary Evidence from a Pilot Study in Uganda, Brown University, 2013.

Grimm M, Peters J, Sievert M. Impacts of Pico-PV Systems Usage Using a Randomized Controlled Trial and Qualitative Methods, Impact Evaluation of Netherlands Supported Programmes in the Area of Energyand Development Cooperation in Rwanda, September 2013.

Grimm M, Munyehirwe A, Peters J, Siervert M. A First Step up the Energy Ladder? Low Cost Solar Kits and Household’s Welfare in Rural Rwanda, IZA DP No. 8594 Discussion Paper, Bonn, 2015.

Gustavsson M. Educational benefits from solar technology—Access to solar electric services and changes in children’s study routines, experiences from eastern province Zambia, Energy Policy, 2007, 35:1292–1299. 

Gustavsson M. Solar Energy for a Brighter Life: A Case Study of Rural Electrification through Solar Photovoltaic Technology in the Eastern Province, Zambia, Dissertation, University of Göteborg, 2008. 

Khandker SR, Samad HA, Sadeque ZKM, Asaduzzaman M, Yunus M, Haque AKE. Surge in Solar-PoweredHomes: Experience in Off-Grid Rural Bangladesh, Directions in Development. Washington, DC: World Bank,2014.  

Komatsu S, Kaneko S, Ghosh PP. Are micro-benefits negligible? The implications of the rapid expansion of Solar Home Systems (SHS) in rural Bangladesh for sustainable development, Energy Policy, 2011, 39:4022–4031.

Kudo Y, Schonchoy AS, Takahashi K. Impacts of Solar Lanterns in Geographically Challenged Locations: Experimental Evidence from Bangladesh, Institute of Developing Economies, IDE n 502, 2015.

Mleczko M. (Advised by Donovan K) Analyzing the impact of solar lanterns in rural Haitian schools, April 27 2015. 

Obeng Y, Evers H-D, Akuffo FO, Braimah I, Brew-Hammond A. Solar photovoltaic electrification and rural energy-poverty in Ghana, Energy for Sustainable Development, 2008, 12 (1):43–54.

Obeng GY, Evers HD. Impact of solar photovoltaic lighting on indoor air smoke in off-grid rural Ghana. Energy for Sustainable Development, 2008, 12 (1):55–61.

Rom A, Gunther I, Harisson K. The Economic Impact of Solar Lighting – Results from a Randomised Field Experiment in Rural Kenya, Solar Aid, 2017.

Samad Hussain A, Khandker SR, Asaduzzaman M, Yunus M. The Benefits of Solar Home Systems - An Analysis from Bangladesh, World Bank, Policy Research Working Paper, 6724, 2013.

Smeets L, Beckers M. Monitoring Exercise TWAWEZA Solar Aid / TPS Partnership, May 2013.

Stiftung Solarenergie (StS) & Hybrid Social Solutions (HSSi). Social Impact Assessment – Final Report, Planète d’Entrepreneurs – December 2011, HEC – Paris.

Stojanovski O, Thurber M, Wolak F. Rural energy access through solar home systems: Use patterns and opportunities for improvement, Energy for Sustainable Development, 2017, 37:33–50. 

Swaddiwudhipong  W, Tontiwattanasap W, Khunyotying W, Sanreum C.  Blood lead levels among rural Thai children exposed to lead-acid from solar energy conversion systems, Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health, 2013, 44 (6):1079–1087.

Wamukonya N, Davis M.  Socio-economic impacts of rural electrification in Namibia: comparisons between grid, solar and un-electrified households. Energy for Sustainable Development, 2001, 5 (3): 5–13.

Wang L, Bandyopadhyay S, Cosgrove-Davies M, Samad H. Quantifying Carbon and DistributionalBenefits of Solar Home System Programs in Bangladesh. Policy Research working paper, no. WPS 5545.World Bank, 2011.

Wijayatunga PDC, Attalage RA. Socio-economic impact of solar home systems in rural Sri Lanka: a case-study, Energy for Sustainable Development, 2005, 9:5–9.

Yarime M, Peters JK, Kiru SM. Introducing solar LED lanterns to rural Kenya: Sustainability assessment of environmental, economic, and social impacts. In: Micro Perspectives for Decentralised Energy Supply Proceedings of the International Conference. 2015, 125–129.