Solar PV Lighting and Studying after Sunset: Analysis of Micro-benefits in Off-grid Rural Ghana

Abstract

Solar PV light provides school children living in off-grid rural communities the opportunity to have clean and bright lighting to study after sunset. On the contrary, lighting provided from poor sources can pollute and adversely affect human eyes during reading and writing. Using indicator-based questionnaires in cross-sectional surveys, households with and without solar PV lighting were surveyed in off-grid rural communities in Ghana. The study investigated lighting and children’s studies after sunset. The results indicated that whereas solar PV light of 5-20 watts dc lamps was sufficient for 5-6 children to study together, lighting from kerosene lantern could be sufficient for 1-3 children. All things being equal, the results showed that children who use solar PV light to study upto 2 hours after sunset are likely to improve on their examination results. The extent to which solar PV lighting significantly impacts on studying after sunset was established using some identified indicators. Knowledge of the results provides understanding of the relative constraints in lighting services faced by children in rural communities without access to quality lighting. Such micro-level data will help to enhance policy and planning efforts to increase access to clean and renewable energy-based lighting devices to achieve efficient visual comfort in off-grid rural communities.