Professor Arne Jacobson interviews Kenyan shopkeepers about their lighting needs and introduces them to WLED lighting products.
Lighting from kerosene, candles, and other fuels can be dirty, dangerous, inefficient, and expensive, but it nonetheless serves as the primary source of illumination for well over a billion people worldwide. Electric lamps that use light emitting diode (LED) technology are now emerging as a promising substitute for fuel-based lighting in unelectrified areas of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. While LED technology has good potential to provide superior lighting services, unresolved issues related to product quality, performance, cost, and end-user preferences are inhibiting the widespread use of the technology.
The Schatz Energy Research Center (SERC) is a leader in efforts to increase access to good quality, affordable off-grid lighting systems in Sub Saharan Africa, India, and beyond. Over the past four years SERC has worked closely with the Lighting Africa initiative. The SERC team is leading Lighting Africa's effort to develop an international program for quality assurance and consumer protection for LED-based off-grid lighting systems.
In addition, SERC is engaged in the Lumina Project, which involves work led by Evan Mills of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Arne Jacobson of SERC. Publications generated through this collaboration are available on the Lumina Project library page.
Work by SERC staff and students over the past five years has included the development of test methods for evaluating LED-based off-grid lighting systems, laboratory testing of the systems, field research in Kenya, India, and other countries, implementation of the Lighting Africa Outstanding Product Awards competition, publication of influential articles and reports, and a number of other associated activities.
Information about student participation in these activities is available on the projects page of the Energy Technology and Policy graduate program website.
For additional project new and updates, view the following issues of SERC Energy News:
Summer 2011»
Fall 2010 »
Fall 2009 »
Spring 2009 »
Fall 2008 »
Spring 2008 »
Summer 2007 »
