Beyond Solar partnered with D.light Design, a solar lantern manufacturer based in New Delhi;
and South Orissa Voluntary Action (SOVA), a NGO focused on improving the livelihood of tribal villagers of the Koraput district
in the eastern Indian state of Orissa.
D. Light Design's Nova solar lantern provides up to 40 hours of solar powered light on one solar charge, due largely in part
to the ultra-efficient LED lighting source. This economical unit provides ample light for village dwellings
while remaining compact enough to offer each user the benefit of portability.
Village Information
Beyond Solar and SOVA field workers distributed lanterns to three villages in the Koraput District : Puki, New Kerenga, and Ganjei Padar.
All three have been recently displaced as a result of the construction of a hydro-electric dam, yet all are
without grid-supplied electricity. The villages displayed many common characteristics, such as:
Approximately 80% of villagers are of a tribal background; the remaining belong to the Scheduled Caste
An average monthly income of Rs.(Rupees) 625, or about $12.50
The primary source of income is selling agriculture products and manual labor such as breaking stones
Average distance to the nearest market is 5km; villagers make approx. 2-3 trips to the market per week
Kerosene expense equals approximately Rs. 100-150 per month
All reported damage to homes and injuries from kerosene lamp fires
Deployment Process
In an effort to prove our theory that providing solar powered lighting to the poor could be a sustainable, scalable process,
we had to establish value in the eyes of the villagers. To do this, we made one or two trips to the village simply to ask
questions, demonstrate the benefits of the lights, and build rapport with people. We left a few lights with the villagers so they
could experience the benefits of the lights firsthand.
After this trial period, we returned to the village to hear about their experiences and then to sign up interested villagers.
Imagine our suprise when the villagers bought ALL of our lanterns! What we learned is that even in a few short days, the villagers
saw the tremendous benefits of the lights. We also know that we should focus on doing another project of this nature.
Reported Results
The list below contains benefits reported from the users of the lanterns:
No purchase of kerosene or trips to market
Used for 3-4 hours per night at the highest brightness setting
Enough brightness for kids to study (not possible with kerosene lighting)
Food preparation
Can be done at night
More sanitary by preventing insects from getting in food
Mobile Use
Protection from bears and other wild animals at night
Inspection of crops
Noticeable improvement in air quality and safety
Longer working hours
Domestic activities performed at night leaving more time for income work during the day
Leaf-plate manufacturing, netting up to Rs. 10 per day
At the time of writing, 100% of the villagers have made their payments on time.
For more details of our Shine A Light project, click here.
