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Do Solar Lamps Help Children Study? Contrary Evidence from a Pilot Study in Uganda

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  • Chishio Furukawa

Abstract

Over half a billion children lack adequate lighting and use dim, smoky and dangerous kerosene-based lighting for their evening studies. This article examines the conventional wisdom that the brighter, clean, safe and zero-marginal-cost light of solar lamps enhances children's learning outcomes. In a randomised experiment, unexpectedly, solar lamps lowered test scores by five points out of 100 (0.25 standard deviation), but increased reported study time by approximately 30 minutes per day. This may be due to flickering from lack of full charge, lowering their productivity. The nationwide learning assessment suggests that solar lamps likely have an insignificant effect on educational attainment.

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  • Chishio Furukawa, 2014. "Do Solar Lamps Help Children Study? Contrary Evidence from a Pilot Study in Uganda," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(2), pages 319-341, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jdevst:v:50:y:2014:i:2:p:319-341
    DOI: 10.1080/00220388.2013.833320
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    1. Suryadeepto Nag & David I. Stern, 2023. "Are the benefits of electrification realized only in the long run? Evidence from rural India," Departmental Working Papers 2023-08, The Australian National University, Arndt-Corden Department of Economics.
    2. Michael Grimm & Anicet Munyehirwe & Jörg Peters & Maximiliane Sievert, 2017. "A First Step up the Energy Ladder? Low Cost Solar Kits and Household’s Welfare in Rural Rwanda," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 31(3), pages 631-649.
    3. Meriggi, Niccolò F. & Bulte, Erwin & Mobarak, Ahmed Mushfiq, 2021. "Subsidies for technology adoption: Experimental evidence from rural Cameroon," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    4. Alem, Yonas & Dugoua, Eugenie, 2021. "Learning from unincentivized and incentivized communication: A randomized controlled trial in India," Ruhr Economic Papers 895, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    5. Kudo, Yuya & Shonchoy, Abu S. & Takahashi, Kazushi, 2015. "Impacts of solar lanterns in geographically challenged locations : experimental evidence from Bangladesh," IDE Discussion Papers 502, Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization(JETRO).
    6. Fadi Hassan & Paolo Lucchino, 2016. "Powering Education," Natural Field Experiments 00566, The Field Experiments Website.
    7. Michael Grimm & Luciane Lenz & Jörg Peters & Maximiliane Sievert, 2020. "Demand for Off-Grid Solar Electricity: Experimental Evidence from Rwanda," Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, University of Chicago Press, vol. 7(3), pages 417-454.
    8. Somdeep Chatterjee & Shiv Hastawala & Jai Kamal, 2023. "(En‐)‘lightening’ children: Assessing the impacts of access to electricity on learning achievement levels," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(4), pages 2489-2517, November.
    9. Jamie Cross & Tom Neumark, 2021. "Solar Power and its Discontents: Critiquing Off‐grid Infrastructures of Inclusion in East Africa," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 52(4), pages 902-926, July.
    10. Sovacool, Benjamin K. & Ryan, Sarah E., 2016. "The geography of energy and education: Leaders, laggards, and lessons for achieving primary and secondary school electrification," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 107-123.
    11. Kenneth Lee & Edward Miguel & Catherine Wolfram, 2020. "Does Household Electrification Supercharge Economic Development?," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 34(1), pages 122-144, Winter.
    12. Nduka, Eleanya, 2021. "How to get rural households out of energy poverty in Nigeria: A contingent valuation," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    13. Mamadou Saliou Barry & Anna Creti, 2020. "Pay-as-you-go contracts for electricity access: bridging the « last mile » gap? A case study in Benin," Working Papers 2006, Chaire Economie du climat.
    14. Robert Lensink & Tom Raster & Angelique Timmer, 2018. "Liquidity Constraints and Willingness to Pay for Solar Lamps and Water Filters in Jakarta," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 30(4), pages 577-587, September.
    15. Wong, Jason Chun Yu & Blankenship, Brian & Harish, S.P. & Urpelainen, Johannes, 2022. "Increasing microsolar technology adoption: Efficacy of vouchers, cash transfers, and microfinance schemes," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    16. d'Adda, Giovanna & Mahmud, Mahreen & Said, Farah & Bonan, Jacopo, 2020. "The Role of Flexibility and Planning in Repayment Discipline: Evidence from a Field Experiment on Pay-as-You-Go Off-Grid Electricity," RFF Working Paper Series 20-14, Resources for the Future.
    17. Bensch, Gunther & Kluve, Jochen & Stöterau, Jonathan, 2021. "The market-based dissemination of energy-access technologies as a business model for rural entrepreneurs: Evidence from Kenya," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    18. Alem, Yonas & Dugoua, Eugenie, 2022. "Learning from unincentivized and incentivized communication: a randomized controlled trial in India," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 110858, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    19. Koima, Josephat, 2024. "School electrification and academic outcomes in rural Kenya," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    20. Hirwa, Jusse & Zolan, Alexander & Becker, William & Flamand, Tülay & Newman, Alexandra, 2023. "Optimizing design and dispatch of a resilient renewable energy microgrid for a South African hospital," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 348(C).
    21. Ankel-Peters, Jörg & Schmidt, Christoph M., 2023. "Rural electrification, the credibility revolution, and the limits of evidence-based policy," Ruhr Economic Papers 1051, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    22. Barry, Mamadou Saliou & Creti, Anna, 2020. "Pay-as-you-go contracts for electricity access: Bridging the “last mile” gap? A case study in Benin," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    23. Ademola Olatide Olaniyan (PhD) & Haman Biita, 2021. "University Students’ Awareness of the Use and Application of Solar Energy in Uganda," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 5(10), pages 403-407, October.
    24. Mamadou Saliou Barry & Anna Creti, 2020. "Pay-as-you-go contracts for electricity access: Bridging the “last mile” gap? A case study in Benin," Post-Print hal-03148505, HAL.

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