SOLVING A MATTER OF LIGHT OR DEATH
Advancements in solar street lights on display at Abu Dhabi event
Solar-powered street lights can help make life safer for rural communities not connected to a national grid, encourage business and offer a cheaper alternative to conventional street lights.
Some can run five times longer than existing devices, and can even withstand the harsh climates of sub-Saharan Africa and the GCC.
The latest developments in the field were on show at the Masdar World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi yesterday, including ones from Sunna Design.
The French company won the small and medium enterprise category of the Zayed Future Energy Prize this year.
“I travelled the world after my studies and I could see the lack of light in many countries and Sub-Saharan Africa in particular,” said Sunna Design’s chief executive Thomas Samuel, who has taken his company’s street light design to 20 countries.
“It is a straightforward application but it is difficult to do it properly,” he said.
He took his design to India and then back to France for research and development.
“We developed a unique proposition by making our solar street lamps last five times longer than what is currently being used,” Mr Samuel said. “They should last for 10 to 15 years, even in harsh weather conditions.”
Installing street lights in areas where there are none can change lives. Solar lights cam illuminate marketplaces at night to encourage business, and improve security in remote parts of Africa, such as Malawi, where many people live mostly outside and women’s safety is a big issue.
“In some places where there is existing electricity like the UAE, it may be very expensive, so solar street lights can offer a cost-effective alternative,” Mr Samuel said.
“We have designed them frugally as we have meant from the beginning to make them affordable for governments and municipalities.
“We are working with a business partner in Malawi to bring this idea to communities there. Municipalities pay a huge cost to run street lights and often don’t have the funds to invest in game-changing alternatives like this. These solar lights are affordable.”
“The return on investment and total cost of ownership are two key performance indicators, and as there are no running costs they are cheaper than conventional street lights from day one.”
With conventional lights, connecting to the grid, cabling and trenching is expensive, but there is no need for that with solar lighting,” Mr Samuel said.
Pupils and teachers from the Nkhata Bay district of Malawi are visiting Abu Dhabi this week to see what solar power developments could soon be changing lives in their village.
Wilfred Ngwira, a teacher at Chingoma Primary School in northern Malawi, said that street lights would make a huge difference in his community.
“At night, because it is so dark, thieves take their opportunity and young people get involved in risky activities,” Mr Ngwira said. “If there was light, this would not happen, I am sure of it.
“Many people have to walk at night and there are no pavements so they must walk on the roads. With no street lights, it is very dangerous and people are killed.”
Joyce Mhango, 53, has just completed a course at a solar training academy in Malawi built with funds from the Zayed Future Energy Prize.
“I don’t feel very safe when I am walking around my village at night,” Ms Mhango said. “There could be snakes, and women are at risk of being attacked or even raped.
“You cannot see and people can hide. It can be very dangerous. Many young people move around at night as they have nothing else to do.”