Designing a Low-Cost Photovoltaic Prototype for Informal and Rural Settlements

Access to electricity remains a challenge for millions across Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly within informal and rural settlements. Limited infrastructure, energy poverty, energy injustice and socioeconomic constraints hinder traditional energy access. The modest energy needs of rural users and maturity of photovoltaic products present an opportunity for the development of low-cost custom systems that address the user needs. This study develops a low-cost, photovoltaic prototype intended to address the specific energy needs of informal or rural settlement households in SSA. It further performs an operational assessment of the prototype to validate the effectiveness of the solution. A hybrid methodology of design thinking and the V -model was used to develop the prototype. The design process entailed interviewing a community without existing electrical infrastructure and translating the interview results into design requirements. A photovoltaic prototype is then developed and deployed at an underserved community. Post-intervention interviews are conducted and analyzed, serving to validate the goodness of fit of the prototype and to propose future developments. The findings suggest that affordable, solar-driven energy solutions can effectively meet user needs and can provide a practical solution due to its low cost and targeted functionality, providing a sustainable model for community energy resilience. More specifically, users reported that they no longer relied on candles, which made their homes feel safer and reduced their monthly expenses. By saving R200 per month, if the system were purchased outright, it would achieve an eight-month payback period. Future work can focus optimizing the prototype, but the largest barriers to implementation are user ignorance and accessing remote areas which mitigation strategies need to be developed for.