SOCIAL IMPACT

New jobs and higher incomes

In addition to creating new jobs in sales and production, another significant impact of this project has been observed: the light offered by these lamps for so many hours each night is making people even more creative. They now seek out new sources of income with work that they can do at night under the light of these solar lamps. The solar lamps are letting these people increase their incomes by 30 to 50%.

In Bangladesh, people have doubled their income once they had access to light in the evenings. Women especially have developed into successful small entrepreneurs thanks to the extra work hours afforded by these lamps. By their light, they sew and weave and increase their families' monthly income by selling the products of their labor. This increase in income not only improves their economic situation, but also leads to some associated benefits on a personal level as people experience success and pride in what they can achieve. This in turn generates the further energy and motivation needed to promote the socio-economic development of their communities.

Savings potential

Replacing a kerosene lamp with a solar lamp saves the monthly kerosene bill each month, which can be as much as $4.00 a month. So the lamp pays for itself in fuel savings after just 4 months. The net savings offered by a solar lamp with an average useful life of 2 years is $80 (24 months x $4 less the $16 purchase price of the lamp). If one switches from battery-operated lamps to the solar lamp, the monthly savings is about $1 and the lamp pays for itself in 16 months.

Health, security and environment

People can stay in their huts without suffering damage to their health because the solar-powered lamps do not fill their homes with fumes nor run the risk of fires. In addition, solar-powered lamps are environmentally friendly in every aspect. They result in significantly less battery scrap, don't pose any issues with hazardous waste disposal for the developing countries, and don't cause harmful emissions.