Abstract
Solar Hand Lights for the Base of the Pyramid ("BOP") market. Despite its abundant solar radiation, Africa suffers from energy scarcity. In the south of the Sahara, only 23% of the population, (one in four), has access to electricity. This situation is even more critical in rural areas where electricity is only available to one in ten inhabitants. However, with daily sunshine approximately 12 to 13 hours per day, solar resources in Africa have huge potential and as such are "free" (OCDE 2007).
In 2007, less than 10% of the population had access to African electricity. (International Renewable Energy Agency). With the increase in the price of kerosene, the energy situation in Africa is likely to worsen and requires a rethinking of ways to change this trend. In this context, solar energy in Africa would seem to be an area of great interest for further studies due to its huge solar potential throughout.
