The use of solar powered household devices in humanitarian emergencies is gaining grounds. Solar power ensures the fulfillment of the Sphere minimum standards. It also cuts costs and addresses cross-cutting issues such as gender and environment. A recent field study on the use of solar powered household products among IDPs in Hargeisa Somalialand highlights the benefits.
Earth quakes, floods, extreme droughts, civil strife, war, and political instability; the common denominator is that lives and livelihoods are at stake. Needs are urgent and grave and funding resources are scarce no matter the type of humanitarian disaster.
Most often the needs of the suffering civilian population can only be met through both immediate and long-term external support. The international aid and relief organizations such as the Red Cross movement, UNHCR, UNICEF, OCHA, Islamic Relief, Save the Children, the Danish Refugee Council, Merlin, etc., all step up in times of hardship.
In order to coordinate the relief efforts, and provide the best quality and most ethical response to a given emergency situation, the majority of professional aid and relief organizations follow the guidelines and standards prescribed by the Sphere Project: Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Humanitarian Response.
The Sphere Handbook is the aid practitioners A-Z for how to manage anything from shelter and nutrition, to health, education, WATSAN, and gender issues. It provides the practitioner with a set of minimum standards and relevant key indicators for each standard.
A set of standard relief items used in all emergencies are so called non-food items NFIs.
Light is an NFI.
According to the Sphere minimum standards the implementing aid agency has to ensure that each household has access to a sustainable light source:
“Each household also has access to appropriate means of providing sustainable artificial lighting to ensure personal safety.” (Sphere Handbook p. 274)
Light can be anything from kerosene lamps and candles to innovative LED-based solar power products. However, more and more aid and relief agencies are currently choosing solar powered products as safe, sustainable and cost-saving alternatives to especially kerosene lamps and battery dependent devices.
The solar powered products are easy to use, durable, hazard free, cost-saving, and environmentally friendly plus they have inherent qualities in terms of attributing to several cross-cutting issues at once such as gender and environment.
A recent field study on the use of solar powered household products among IDPs in Hargeisa Somalialand, initiated by the Emergency Shelter/NFI Cluster in Somalia concludes that:
Solar lighting systems play a crucial role in averting gender based violence within the settlements. It is critical that households have their individual lighting systems alongside the ‘street’ light / static pole system. Using the two systems concurrently enhances protection of community members, especially women and girls and in turn, empowers them to take charge of their safety, security and economy. This empowerment mitigates gender based violence in the IDP settlements. Another advantage is being able to do household chores and school homework after dark.
The study also showed that there was a general preference for household solar lamps rather than the ‘street’ lighting systems that cover the whole camp because people can:
- Control the lamps and in turn plan and apportion their time better.
- Operate the lamps without calling experts for repairs.
- Live without the risks of fire resulting from loosely connected power lines.
- Carry the lamp to another location, within the settlement, or to another destination, should they be displaced.
- Charge their mobile phones at no cost.
- Carry the lamps to their businesses and increase livelihood opportunities.
- Easily switch on the lamps, at night, in the event of a break in.
One of the most cost-efficient and durable solar products on the market is the Sunlife® solar power product series especially designed for utilization in emergencies.
The Sunlife® solar power product series is a LED based portable solution for light, mobile charging and radio communication. The lamp is ideal for use both indoors and outdoors as a torch at night. The rechargeable LED Lamp provides up to 30 hours of light on a single charge. The solar panel is uniquely flexible, lightweight and durable (no breakable glass).
After the Haiti earthquake HelpAge International utilized the Sunlife® emergency kit for 5,500 households in emergency camps in Haiti. An assessment of the product showed that 3 months after the distribution the use of solar powered products had resulted in an:
- 80% reduction in the number of candles bought
- 91% reduction in the amount of kerosene bought
- 77% reduction in the quantity of D-cell batteries bought
At Bestnet a dedicated team is ready to provide you more information on the the Sunlife® solar power product series and its use in emergencies. Please do not hesitate to contact us.
———————————————————————–
FACT BOX: The Sphere Handbook on Lighting
According to Sphere NFIs standard 4:
“Each household also has access to appropriate means of providing sustainable artificial lighting to ensure personal safety.” (Sphere Handbook p. 274)
Artificial lighting is according to the sphere standards anything from candles to lanterns but SOLAR PANELS should be considered as a safe and sustainable alternative:
“Lanterns or candles can provide familiar and readily sourced lighting, although the fire risk of using such items should be assessed. Provide other types of artificial lighting to contribute to personal safety in and around settlements where general illumination is not available. The use of energy-efficient artificial lighting should be considered, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and the provision of solar panels to generate localized electrical energy” (Sphere Handbook p. 275)
FACT BOX: Sunlife®
The Sunlife® solar power product series is a LED based portable solution for light, mobile charging and radio communication. The lamp is ideal for use both indoors and outdoors as a torch at night. The rechargeable LED Lamp provides up to 30 hours of light on a single charge. The solar panel is uniquely flexible, lightweight and durable (no breakable glass). The technology is developed by ToughStuff, a Bestnet A/S partner.
Like this:
Like Loading...
