Lighting up India’s off-grid communities

 

June 17, 2020

 

Signify and South Pole are working to bring light to off-grid communities in India.
 

Ever wondered what it’s like to live in an off-grid community? Try switching off all your lights in your home and unplug everything. On second thought, don’t do that. It’s dangerous… And that’s the point.
 

Without light and electricity, there are hidden dangers. Dangers from what you can’t see and dangers when resorting to candles and kerosene. In many respects, normal life grinds to a halt after dark in off-grid communities.

 

But Signify and South Pole, leading project developer and provider of global climate action solutions, are working to change those circumstances and bring light to off-grid communities in India.

light study
Photo courtesy of South Pole

Lighting the night in Gumla district


India is modernizing rapidly, but to keep up with growing energy needs, the country needs more investment in clean energy technologies. In Gumla district, for example, more than 500,000 people lack access to electricity.
 

After sunset everything shuts down. People stay inside. Shops close and children study by the light from kerosene lamps. The necessities that we take for granted are denied to these communities.

Bringing light to them catalyzes a full transformational journey towards employment, better health and improved overall wellbeing"

Bringing light to them is not just about covering their basic needs. It catalyzes a full transformational journey towards employment, better health and improved overall wellbeing. Through this project we’re able to help people who wouldn’t normally be served by a commercial energy company.
solar panels
Photo courtesy of South Pole

How the project works


The Gumla project develops renewable energy power plants using hybrid sources of Solar PV. Generating power from an off-grid system avoids burning fossil fuels and thereby reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Each solar panel is expected to last 25 years, at which point new solar panels will be provided, ensuring project continuity.
 

Watch the video below to see how Signify and South Pole are working “to unlock the extraordinary potential of light for brighter lives and a better world” in Gumla district.

South Pole video

About the author:

Maria Baskouta

Maria Baskouta

 

Sustainability Professional

For further information, please contact:

Signify Global Integrated Communications
Neil Pattie
Tel: + 31 6 15 08 48 17
Email: neil.pattie@signify.com

About Signify

 

Signify (Euronext: LIGHT) is the world leader in lighting for professionals, consumers and the Internet of Things. Our Philips products, Interact systems and data-enabled services, deliver business value and transform life in homes, buildings and public spaces. In 2023, we had sales of EUR 6.7 billion, approximately 32,000 employees and a presence in over 70 countries. We unlock the extraordinary potential of light for brighter lives and a better world. We have been in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index since our IPO for seven consecutive years and have achieved the EcoVadis Platinum rating for four consecutive years, placing Signify in the top one percent of companies assessed. News from Signify can be found in the Newsroom, on X, LinkedIn and Instagram. Information for investors is located on the Investor Relations page.

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