Laboratory and field based integrated approach for assessing performance and utilization of LED Solar Lanterns in rural areas

LED based Solar Lanterns have evolved as a promising alternative to conventional rural lighting solutions. However, with the commencement of several Solar Lighting programs and the wide variety of products being introduced in the market, there is a lack of data characterizing the quality and performance of this wide range of products. This affects their long term, reliable performance towards ensuring sustainability, cost-effectiveness and user acceptance within the rural community. This paper proposes a `laboratory and field based integrated approach' leading to a holistic assessment of the technological gaps in the evaluation and dissemination chain of LED based Solar Lanterns. Basic laboratory tests, comparative performance evaluation, capturing of field usage parameters and fault assessment were carried out for 6 models of solar lanterns disseminated in 8 villages in India. Incorporation of additional features, design enhancements as well as improvements in systematic laboratory based evaluation mechanism have also been recommended in the paper. The findings are potentially applicable to the development of comprehensive benchmarks for performance specifications of LED solar lanterns, effective designing of such products for rural areas and ultimately resulting in greater impact of the several Solar Lighting programs on the rural society.