Lighting an African School with Alternative Energy

1. Abstract Insufficient lighting is an issue in many poverty-stricken nations. Without proper electric lighting, residents of impoverished communities resort to using potentially hazardous light sources, such as kerosene lamps, candles, and car batteries used to light lightbulbs. Burkina Faso, located in western Africa, is one of the poorest nations in the world, with an annual per capita income of $440. Our goal is to power a school in Yaba, Burkina Faso because it currently has no electricity. The power sources that we considered included wind, solar, hydropower, combustion of biomass, and energy-generating playground equipment. After taking efficiency, cost, and sustainability into account, it was decided that Shawn Frayne’s invention, the Windbelt seemed most feasible for implementation in Yaba. This piece of technology would be best because it is easy to store, easy to repair, and relatively inexpensive.