The report "Solar Lighting for the Base of the Pyramid: Overview of an Emerging Market" states that, by 2015, solar portable lights could provide access to clean and safe lighting to an estimated 65 million Africans who are currently either un-electrified or under-electrified.
23 November 2010: The World Bank has released a report titled “Solar Lighting for the Base of the Pyramid: Overview of an Emerging Market,” which underlines that, by 2015, solar portable lights could provide access to clean and safe lighting to an estimated 65 million Africans who are currently either un-electrified or under-electrified.
This development potential is attributed to three factors: a significant improvement in the quality and performance of solar portable lights in the past five years; a decline in retail price; and product features that have been adapted to meet consumer needs. The report, which presents an overview of current and projected market trends for off-grid lighting, was commissioned and coordinated by Lighting Africa, a joint initiative of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the World Bank that seeks to accelerate the development of commercial off-grid lighting markets in Sub-Saharan Africa as part of the World Bank Group’s wider efforts to improve access to energy. [The Report]