Solar lanterns or solar home lighting systems – Community preferences in East Timor
Introduction
East Timor is a small nation occupying the eastern half of the island of Timor. After almost five hundred years of foreign occupation East Timor finally achieved formal independence in 2002 [1]. With independence, however, a broad range of development challenges were presented to the people of East Timor and their government. The 2005 United Nations Human Development Report ranked East Timor the lowest of any Asian or Pacific Island nation, reflecting the social and economic problems which East Timor is confronting [2]. Rural life predominates in East Timor and poverty has a rural focus with 46% of rural households estimated to live below the official poverty line of USD0.55 per person per day [3]. As might be expected, rural areas also suffer from poor access to electricity. Government of East Timor estimates for 2005 indicate that whilst 22% of households were connected to electricity [4], nearly two thirds of these households were in the capital city, Dili. Those living in rural areas are estimated to consume only 2% of the electricity generated in East Timor. Ninety-five percent of rural homes lack any access to electric power.
The Government of East Timor is working towards much improved access to basic services including electricity. The government's Sector Investment Plan for the power sector aims to deliver electricity to 80% of all homes by 2025 [5]. Renewable energy is expected to play a significant role in meeting the expansion of electricity services, particularly for the many rural households living in remote parts of the country. With an average solar insolation throughout the year of 6 kWh/m2/day [6], East Timor is ideally suited for solar PV applications. Installation of between 10,000 and 50,000 PV systems are likely to be required for households that will not be connected to the national or micro-grids within the next 15 years [7].
Several pilot programs for solar PV lighting have recently been initiated. These have involved installation of both solar home systems (SHS) and solar lanterns. The United Nations Development Program and the Government of East Timor have all installed SHS. Another UN program, run by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) have provided solar lanterns to isolated communities living on the island of Atauro [7]. As the Timorese Government develops its plan for providing solar PV lighting to remote communities it will face a decision about whether to promote SHS or solar lanterns—or both. Whilst a body of literature exists on the benefits of SHS and solar lanterns [8], [9], [10], [11], [12], [13] the literature is silent on the merits of one compared to the other from the users' perspective. One international NGO in East Timor has trialled both types of system. The Edmund Rice Community (CER) project in the Railaco sub-district of East Timor has installed a mix of SHS and solar lanterns for almost 1000 households. The experiences of these communities offer an excellent opportunity to investigate whether rural households in East Timor prefer solar lanterns or SHS. The findings of such an investigation are presented here.
Section snippets
Description of solar PV systems in Railaco
Under the leadership of Christian Brother Bill Tynan, CER operates a broad range of community development activities in the Railaco sub-district of Ermera, several hours west of the capital, Dili. Railaco is in the mountainous, coffee growing area of East Timor. These community development activities include support to the primary school system in the area, literacy and English classes, a mobile health clinic, sewing classes, water supply systems and provision of solar lighting systems [14].
Household preferences
Asked the straightforward question, ‘which type of system do you prefer—SHS or solar lantern?’, the overwhelming majority of respondents opted for the SHS. Table 1 shows that nearly four of every five households expressed a preference for the SHS and not quite one in five for the lanterns. Respondents were encouraged to declare a preference for either the SHS or the lantern but three households could not choose between the two options and stated that the systems were of equal merit.
These
Discussion
The findings of the research indicate a very clear preference amongst most users for SHS rather than solar lanterns, raising the question as to why portability—the prime advantage of lanterns—did not make lanterns more attractive. Portability can be considered from two aspects: portability around the house; and portability away from the house. Being able to move the lantern to different locations within the house, particularly into the kitchen, is a definite advantage. For a household of five
Conclusions
The study undertaken in Railaco revealed a clear user preference for SHS rather than solar lanterns of a similar capacity. Irrespective of whether households had experience of only SHS or only lanterns—or of both types of system—SHS were far more likely to be preferred than lanterns. Respondents to the survey described a range of motivations for their preference. Portability was the most important attribute for the 18% of households that preferred lanterns. Those who preferred SHS did so for a
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge the contribution of the many households in Railaco, East Timor, who generously shared their time and experiences during interviewing for the household survey. Gratitude is also owed to Brother Bill Tynan of the Edmund Rice Community for his support in carrying out the research and providing introductions to community leaders in Railaco. Finally, the authors would like to thank the two Timorese enumerators—Constantino Belo and Ludivico Alves—for their
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