Solar Home Lighting System
What is Solar Home Lighting System ?
Solar home systems (SHS) are stand-alone photovoltaic systems that offer a cost-effective mode of supplying amenity power for lighting and appliances to remote off-grid households. In rural areas, that are not connected to the grid, SHS can be used to meet a household's energy demand fulfilling basic electric needs. Globally SHS provide power to hundreds of thousands of households in remote locations where electrification by the grid is not feasible.
SHS usually operate at a rated voltage of 12 V direct current (DC) and provide power for low power DC appliances such as lights, radios and small TVs for about three to five hours a day. Furthermore they use appliances such as cables, switches, mounts, and structural parts and power conditioners / inverters, which change 12/ 24 V power to 240VAC power for larger appliances. SHS are best used with efficient appliances so as to limit the size of the array.
A SHS typically includes one or more Solar Panels / Solar PV modules consisting of solar cells, a charge controller which distributes power and protects the batteries and appliances from damage and at least one battery to store energy for use when the sun is not shining.
They contribute to the improvement of the standard of living by:
- reducing indoor air pollution and therefore improving health as they replace kerosene lamps,
- providing lighting for home study,
- giving the possibility of working at night and
- facilitating the access to information and communication (radio, TV, mobile phone charging).
Furthermore, SHS avoid greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the use of conventional energy resources like kerosene, gas or dry cell batteries or replacing diesel generators for electricity generationIn the rural areas of India, where there is no electricity, solar lights seem to be the perfect solution. Most of the rural Indian population still depend on kerosene lamps for their living. Not only are kerosene lamps expensive, kerosene oil used is also hazardous and polluting.
About 100,000 Indian villages do not yet have electricity which means that the productivity comes to a complete stop in the dark. Using Solar lantern or solar home lighting system will definitely increase the efficiency of people by allowing them to work and children study after it gets dark. These people will be free to use their Mobile phones, TVs and radios to remain entertained.
With the advent of Solar Lights in these places, the life of these people will surely change. Solar Lighting is an economical way to save on electricity costs and is also environment-friendly.