We revised the Quality Standards for solar home system (SHS) kits and will begin using these new standards immediately. The new version now allows SHS kits that include non-plug-and-play connectors (such as screw terminals and binding posts) to undergo testing and participate in the Lighting Global program. To qualify, the products must still be sold as … Read More
In 2017 and as part of ongoing efforts to bolster the off-grid solar market, Lighting Global Quality Assurance tested a group of top-selling non-quality verified solar products in five domestic markets across Africa and South Asia. All 17 evaluated products—purchased from retail stores in Ethiopia, Kenya, Myanmar, Nigeria, and Tanzania—failed to meet the Lighting Global … Read More
Reflections from the GOGLA Member Conference A few members of the QA team attended GOGLA’s annual member conference in Amsterdam in late May. We had a number of good discussions with industry representatives and others—both inside and outside the conference sessions—and would like to share with you a few observations. In the Technology Working Group … Read More
Last week, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) expanded the scope of its technical specification for pico-solar products (up to 10 Watts) to also include plug-and-play solar home system (SHS) kits (up to 350 Watts). National governments, development agencies, and other institutions can now refer to a single document for test methods suitable for evaluating solar … Read More
In an exciting development for global clean energy access, and off-grid solar market development, the University of Nairobi Lighting Laboratory (UoN-LL) is now the first lab in Africa—and one of only five worldwide—to receive ISO accreditation for quality testing for pico-PV products up to 10 watts. Prior to its recent accreditation in April 2018, the … Read More
Results of the Quality Assurance Survey We recently conducted a survey of companies with Lighting Global Quality Verified products to learn why they submit products for testing and what aspects of the program they find most valuable. We received responses from nearly half of the companies we contacted (29 of 60). Thank you! We were … Read More
Trust is fundamental to the Lighting Global Quality Assurance Program, which aims to help purchasers and other market actors identify products that will meet or exceed consumers’ expectations for quality. We are writing to update you on what we are doing to earn your continued trust. We recently learned that a fake Lighting Global verification … Read More
Despite many recent successes in advancing national markets for quality-assured off-grid solar products, low-quality products continue to flood markets around the world. In response, many more governments are turning to mandatory quality standards to help keep poor-quality products out of their markets. Lighting Global’s efforts to support national standards development and enforcement are thus more … Read More