Mozambique School Project

Project Description

The goal of the project was to provide a reliable lighting solution for the school of Pessene. Therefore a set of PicoPV systems (Ulitium Lightkits) of the manufacturer Sundaya were installed at the school house to provide light for evening classes and for the directors office. Additional Lightkits were installed at the neighbouring houses which accommodate the teachers. The standard Ulitium 200 Lightkit is an energy-efficient lighting installation designed for one room, it consists of a solar panel and an LED-lamp with integrated battery that are directly connected by a hub box with bayonet plugs. Due to the simple plug and play technology the systems can be easily extended and several Lightkits can be combined to provide a lighting solution for an entire house. 

Why was PV selected?

Although the village of Pessene is located less than 50 kilometres away from the
Mozambican capitol Maputo, the national electricity grid does not cover the area. For lighting purposes petrol lanterns and candles are normally used. Due to the efficient LED lights of the Ulitium lamps, the small stand alone photovoltaic systems provide a unique comfortable solution to light small private rooms as well as large classrooms. The Ulitium systems are easy to operate and do not require continuous maintenance.

Special Challenges/Features

• The use of PV is quite unknown in rural Mozambique. Due to the simple features and the low maintenance needs, the Ulitium Lightkits are best suitable for lighting purposes in rural areas.
• The battery pack and the management electronics are housed inside each Ulitium lamp, thus a centralized controller and battery which need tedious maintenance is not necessary. 
• The Ulitium lamps are leading as far asillumination and energy efficiency are concerned. The Ulitium 200 lamp has an illumination of 240 lumen with a nominal power of 1,8W. This means a lumen efficiency of 133 Lm/W.