Beneficial for health, environment, and finances – solar lamps and water filtersThe project enables households in India to switch from inefficient and environmentally harmful practices to solar lamps and water filters.
So far, many people have had to boil water on open fires before using it. This exposes them to smoke, which can cause respiratory diseases. Light is often provided by kerosene lamps, which increase the risk of fires and injuries. Solar lamps and water filters eliminate these health risks and are also more energy efficient. As they are often too expensive for local people, the project awards Microenergy Credits (MECs) to small companies, making solar lamps and water filters affordable. In the long term, these products also make sense as they save families money on kerosene and wood.
How Microenergy Credits (MECs) projects contribute to climate actionMicroenergy Credits projects grant small loans and enable families in India to afford energy-efficient products such as improved cookstoves, solar lights, and water filters.
The projects incorporate one or more of these technologies and go even beyond climate action: Improved cookstoves make better use of the energy supplied and reduce the smoke produced when cooking over an open fire. A similar problem exists when households do not have access to clean drinking water, as the water must be boiled over an open fire first before it can be used without hesitation. Remedies include for example water filters, or access to groundwater from wells. In addition, solar lights help to illuminate the rooms and replace kerosene lamps, which are a frequent cause of fire accidents. MEC projects in the ClimatePartner portfolio are registered with international standards.
