Testing LED Lighting Products for Lighting Africa Program

Nearly 600 million people in Africa lack access to modern energy. Lighting Africa, a joint IFC and World Bank program, is helping develop 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 Lighting Research Center was awarded a World Bank Group contract to perform laboratory testing of LED-based, off-grid lighting products developed by manufacturers for distribution through the Lighting Africa program. As part of this contract, the LRC will test commercially developed, off-grid LED lighting products according to a standard test method, provide results on their performance, and offer feedback on the test method and test development process.

The results of the LRC’s tests will be used by the World Bank to provide feedback to manufacturers and institutional buyers for the region, and they may also help form the basis of a lighting quality seal recognizable by consumers as part of the overall Lighting Africa quality assurance strategy. This strategy supports market development, provides technical advisory services to quality oriented companies, and protects the interests of low-income consumers.

Lighting Africa is mobilizing the private sector to build sustainable markets to provide safe, affordable, and modern off-grid lighting to 2.5 million people in Africa by 2012 and to 250 million people by 2030. Improved lighting provides significant socio-economic, health and environmental benefits, such as new income generation opportunities for small businesses, longer and better illumination for studying, extended productive hours in the home as well as reduced indoor air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

Website

Lighting Africa

Project Summary Sheet

Lighting Africa LED Testing Program (2011)

Media Coverage

World Bank Group Selects LRC to Test LED-based, Off-grid Lighting Products in Support of Lighting Africa Program – Press Release, February 2011

Sponsors

World Bank Group
International Finance Corporation (IFC)