Solar Lanterns with Positive Impact on Health and Environment

(ETH Zurich, July 06, 2017)

As electricity grids are expensive to build and maintain, as the widely-used kerosene lamps have a negative impact on global warming and the indoor air quality, and as solar photovoltaic and battery prices are dropping, compact solar products have received increasing attention to solve energy poverty and sustainability problems. Therefore, ETH researchers conducted a policy field experiment in rural Kenya to investigate the implications of off-grid energy access on poverty. Surveying households which use kerosene lights for lighting, they found that the shift to use solar lanterns has limited financial effects in the way that the families save money substantially. However, the team observed a cut in kerosene consumption by half, which is beneficial for the environment, and less air pollution-related health issues, such as respiratory infections.