Ramakrishna Mission initiative impact study-a rural electrification project in West Bengal, India

Three-hundred photovoltaic-powered solar home lighting (SHS) systems have been successfully operated in the Sundarbans region of West Bengal since 1997. This paper details the impact of these systems on the beneficiaries, including student study time, kerosene consumption and savings, effectiveness of supply and after-sales service, nature and frequency of problems in the systems, technical evaluation of the systems including detailed battery-charging patterns, satisfaction of users, and summary of payment collection. The Ramakrishna Mission has been an excellent choice as the nongovernmental organization (NGO) responsible for administering the project and training the teams responsible for installing and maintaining the systems. Other applications, such as battery-charging stations, common-area lighting, water pumping, and vaccine refrigeration, were also evaluated.