Off-grid lighting products that use light-emitting diode (LED) and compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) technology can deliver high-performance, affordable lighting services to low-income people who currently rely on kerosene and other fuel-based lighting sources. The widespread use of modern off-grid lighting technologies can also deliver significant health and environmental benefits by reducing indoor air pollution and CO2 emissions. Developing a large, dynamic, and sustainable market for modern off-grid lighting will require careful attention to product quality. Poor quality off-grid lighting products are swiftly entering Asian, African and Latin American markets. Low income end-users who purchase inferior goods frequently suffer due to the bad quality of the products. Their bad experiences, which spread rapidly by word of mouth and other avenues, can undermine consumer confidence in LED and CFL-based off-grid lighting technology.
Focus areas and potential tasks for the Off-Grid Lighting Taskforce will define an effective product quality assurance strategy for off-grid lighting products and ensure that resulting product quality approaches are enforced. The Taskforce will also review best practices and possible approaches to minimize impacts on the environment and human health associated with the entire lifecycle of products from component manufacture to disposal practices at end-of-life. In addition the Taskforce will make recommendations on a coherent approach to regulate off-grid lighting in order to address the numerous regulatory and policy barriers that are stifling the development of off-grid lighting markets.
Members of the Taskforce