Solar energy provides solution to phone owners in rural areas

A man uses a solar system to charge phones

The challenge of energy usage in rural communities in developing countries including Uganda continues to rage and the search of alternative energy source other than the main grid is on the increase.

In Uganda just like other countries in Africa, energy sources such as firewood, candles, kerosene is being used by many communities in rural areas.

But this trend is now changing with communities adopting biogas and solar energy usage for cooking and lighting.

While about 95 percent of rural Ugandans do not access to energy, many still own products that require electricity.

The primary example of this is in cell phones where rural people travel for hours to the nearest town where they pay to charge their phones.

Another example is hair trimming where entrepreneurs using battery operated hair trimmers have not penetrated the market and so rural people again travel for hours to get their hair cut in the nearest town where electricity is available.

The cost of candles and kerosene lamps is often prohibitive with the average household in rural Uganda spending between about $5 a week on these unsustainable energy sources.

While solar energy seems to provide a natural solution to these challenges, the challenges of solar home solutions are manifold
This therefore means people should be encouraged to obtain large scale solar systems for their homes.

Development partners such as Global Village Energy Partnership (GVEP) have been managing a programme which supports micro businesses engaged in servicing the energy needs of poor communities in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda
Developing Energy Enterprises Project has been a significant cluster of businesses registered to sensitize communities on charging mobile phones.

It involves mobile network operators in Africa identifying rural customer’s problems with charging phones as a major challenge in expanding their businesses.

The major aim of this project is that phone charging is a highly viable economic activity where the grid is absent or where grid electricity is present but used by few people.

The availability of a local charging service results in greater phone use and increased expenditure on airtime.
Phone users report significant economic and social benefits from use of their phones.

There is considerable unmet need and significant potential for phone charging microbusinesses to grow and the major constraint on growth is lack of access to funds for the purchase of additional panels and accessories.

These businesses represent a viable, cost efficient and sustainable way of addressing the phone charging needs of off grid subscribers as well as supporting the development of such businesses is likely to be more effective than other options currently being considered by mobile network operators.

Apart from initiatives by development partners, individual in rural areas are now venturing into installing solar panels in their houses in a bid to charge phones of the people living in their vicinity.

One such a community is people living in Lwengo District in central Uganda in a village called Manja B where people are engaged in both farming and phone charging business using solar for early daily income.

Farmer Experience
call me Charles Lwanga and I am 46 years old, a resident of Manja B village, a family man practicing mixed agriculture, growing coffee and East African highland banana (matoke). I also clone coffee seedlings which I sell to my fellow farmers in the village.

Besides farming I have invested in solar energy mainly for charging phones for the people within Manja B village.

I have solar chargers which are able to charge 8 phones which get ready in four hours’ time and for charging each phone people pay Shs200 and in a day I make Shs1, 600. But those who are connected to the main grid charge Shs300.

I purchased 2 solar panels in 2014 each costing Shs500, 000 but I am planning to purchase more panels because I intend to charge at least 20 phones in a day or more.

There are so many people with phones in the village but I can’t afford to charge all their phones.

Apart from charging phones, I use the solar power for lighting but I would wish to use it for watching TV and freezing things using refrigerators but its battery is not strong enough to accommodate all these electrical appliances.
I have Secondary school going children who use the light for reading during holidays and people in the village appreciate my service.

Client’s Experience
I am Urban Ndawula a professional carpenter. I prefer charging my phone at Mr Lwanga’s house because he is trusted but those who take their phones where the main grid is, are faced with challenge of phone batteries being stolen. Sometimes, the phones also get stolen.

But Mr Lwanga usually ensures he is the one to plug in the phones and once the battery is charged, he plugs them out to ensure that the phone is not tampered with.