Recent technological innovations have made Solar Portable Light (SPL) reliable and affordable. Commercially available White Light Emitting Diode (WLED) SPL, with a range of light output is cheaper than burning fuel-based lights. Compared to kerosene light, these solar lights have a payback period of about six months or less. For the rest of its life, which is between 5 and 15 years, it can be used by replacing one or two AA size rechargeable batteries costing about Rs. 100 each year so that the operational cost is almost negligible.
In Nepal, 2.4 million households do not have access to electricity. The estimate is that fuel-based lighting is responsible for annul energy consumption of 24 million liters of kerosene, at a cost of Rs. 1800 million per year at 10 liter kerosene use per household per year. By virtue of its inefficiency and poor quality, kerosene or fuel-based light cresates difficulties in working or reading, possess fire and burn hazards, and causes indoor air pollution. Moreover, a lack of reliable lighting is hindering people from their ability to carry out basic activities at night and early morning, including household chores and studying, and doing business.
According to commonly accepted estimates, kerosene emits approximately 2.5 kg of CO2 per liter, total CO2 emission from Nepal due to kerosene lamp burning is 60,000 tons per year. Apart from the direct impacts of emissions, a nascent set of science on climate change has suggested that such emissions from kerosene burning is a source of the warming of lower atmosphere and play a strong role in the melting of glacial regions. If this is not checked in time, its impact in the vulnerable Himalayan region may have a detrimental impact on Nepalese tourism business and livelihood of the mountain people.
SPL uses rechargeable batteries and have a lifecycle of about 500 charges. So the use of one rechargeable battery reduces the use of 500 environmentally hazardous dry cell batteries.
The health implications of kerosene-based lighting are two-fold: chronic illness due to indoor pollution and risk of injury due to the flammable nature of the fuel used.
Studies on solar home system has demonstrated that poor rural households that operate small cottage industries increased their income-generating activities by using light to extend their productive hours after darkness.
Though specific research on education impact of improved lighting is needed in Nepal, a study in Bangladesh has revealed that when solar-powered lighting was introduced, children in the solar-powered homes remained awake longer each day, and used 38 per cent of their additional time for studying and reading with a correlative effect on school performance. From this, we can conclude that it would definitely have a positive impact on the studies and learning of students in Nepal.
Like any other PV solar products, sharp decreases in the price of solar components and innovations have made SPL products more affordable and have eroded the upfront cost advantage that kerosene has today. Technological improvement will mean more and better light. Along with a decline in price, the market will see a corresponding rise in effectiveness and quality.
The advent of winter in Nepal means load shedding, and this year it could go up to 19 hours a day. Though solar home system could be affordable to a minority of the city people, SPL would be affordable for the large masses living in rented rooms.
In Nepal, while donor based model has been playing an important role in the sale of Solar Home System (SHS) and SPL, and is still an important and growing segment. However, lighting market has not entered a new growth phase that is being led by SPL, often relying purely on market based models, utilizing the latest technology and design based on consumer tastes. This can be introduced by waiving VAT and tax incurred while importing SPL products.
In a free market, competition gives impetus to innovate products and services. This has led to the introduction of affordable and reliable SPL products. Globally, new and innovative SPL manufacturers have come up and in a short time their market share has improved dramatically. The rest of the world have largely benefitted from these products, because their benefits over kerosene light is enormous. On the contrary, these products could not penetrate the Nepal market, since their specification do not meet the specified criteria of Nepal PV Quality Assurance (NEPQA), because these new products were designed and sold in the market after NEPQA came into being in 2009. Recognizing the emerging issue of market spoilage from poor quality of products, all products must meet quality standards. It is high time to revise NEPQA meeting the specifications of best of the products sold in the market, so that these products would get duty and VAT waiver, and these products without subsidy will be competitive. This can increase solar market in Nepal.
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