Present situation

The majority of the rural population in Tanzania has no access to electricity and can rely only on dangerous and unhealthy kerosene lamps for lighting. Solar PV represents an appropriate alternative source of electricity to provide with clean bright light those remote areas. Simple PV off grid systems constituted by a small panel (e.g. 20 W), battery and some light bulbs can change the way of life of those people! It can allow children to study beyond daylight, schools to organize adult evening classes, improvement of income generating activities, etc.

Best Ray strategy

Best Ray activities on PV technology development in its operating rural areas of Ngarenanyuki and Oldonyosambu Wards, are:

• providing public structures with electricity through PV systems, to improve the quality of those social services, in particular:
• - 2 health centers
• - 6 dispensaries
• - 17 primary schools
• - 2 secondary schools
• - 8 village offices
• - 2 Ward offices
• - 2 Community Energy Resource Centers
• The Ngarenanyuki health center has been provided with a 270 W PV solar system and its maternity with a 40 W one. In Oldonyosambu ward the Lemongo health center and its maternity they are now supplied with a 280 W PV system. Those social structures improved significantly the quality of their activities: they are now able to receive and treat under bright light pregnant women and others patients even during night, instead of using the poor light of kerosene lamps.
• In order to give sustainability to this activity and create local capacity, Best Ray has organized trainings on basic solar PV technology and off grid installations. In particular 14 local technicians have been trained in September 2009 and 4 of them,(Habilo, Elissa, Davide, David, have highly improved their skills assisting the Best Ray expert on public PV installations from January 2010. They also became trainers for new trainees: on July 2010 at the two CERCs, they successfully conducted training for 15 new trainees on solar technology and construction of "Solar Box", a portable solar kit of a 10W panel with 2 bulbs and a DC multi socket (for mobile charger, radio,..).
• Assisting the Community Energy Resource Centers on building up PV installation service for household to be a sustainable activity. Now village people can go to their local CERC to have technical assistance on PV systems and order their installation. The trained technicians are successfully carrying out CERCs activities on household PV installations. The CERC can also provide small PV solar torches or "solar box" for those who cannot afford PV system installation.