Solar Power Uganda

Brief Summary
Lack of electricity is a major barrier for sustainable development in Northern Uganda as civil war has caused tremendous damage to physical infrastructure and deprived the population of education and skills acquisition. Moreover, many of the existing options remain impractical: diesel is too expensive, paraffin is expensive and dangerous, and wind is unreliable. Whilst solar energy may provide the answer, current available solar lanterns are too expensive for rural populations even at $20. The Solar Power Uganda project seeks improved solar technologies (such as LED lights) for providing reliable low-cost energy sources for lighting homes and charging electronics, such as computers and mobiles.

Geographical Area
The first application of this project will be based in Agoro sub-county in a newly created Lamwo District in the Acholi sub-region of Northern Uganda.

Nature of the Problem
The 22 years of insurgency by the Lord’s Resistance Movement affected nearly 2 million people. This project is to be part of a two year Pilot Trial in Agoro Sub county affecting approximately 300,000 people. Over the past 22 years people in Northern Uganda were relocated into camps to keep them safe from the Lord’s Resistance Army. The camps could not carry the environmental pressure from the number of people in each camp. For example, the people in Agoro Sub County, Lamwo District were encamped near Okura river. The camp affected the delicate ecosystem along the river by disposing waste into the river thereby spreading water borne sicknesses such as cholera and Hepatitis. Vegetation has been cut down for wood fuel and construction materials.

During 2009 the occupants of the camps were required to return to original village areas where there is nothing so they are still heavily relying on the environment for wood fuel, wood for construction, wood for firing brick kilns and improving their houses by using wood fired bricks. Desertification is a potential problem. The majority of the people are young with few residual skills for sustaining themselves and the environment. These people immediately need low cost lights to go into their houses and a reliable means of charging mobile phone, laptops and television; and in the longer term there is a need to build an area wide solar power system and a back up system for cloudy days.

Nature of the Opportunity
A solution to this problem will provide social (e.g. reading after sunset), practical (operational activities), environmental (reduction in carbon dioxide emissions) and political (support the country in its development as a modern society) benefits to about 300,000 people.

Relevant Scientific Participation
Science for Humanity is currently searching for researchers with scientific knowledge and field experience engineering, material science, renewable energy, environmental sustainability and social sciences to join this challenge. Join the Solar Power Uganda project if you would like to get involved and please feel free to contact Anu Devi at ad@scienceforhumanity.net for further information.