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| − | [[Image:Logo.jpg]] | + | [[Image:Logo.jpg]] |
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| | == Description of the Awards == | | == Description of the Awards == |
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| | + | The differences of the product quality found in the market survey underline the need to inform potential consumers about lantern quality and to define standards and norms to make the quality of consumer goods comparable.<ref>2010. GTZ. What difference can a PicoPV system make? Early findings on small Photovoltaic systems - an emerging lowcost energy technology for developing countries</ref> |
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| | + | Available products out of Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Senegal or Tanzania were considered. Distributors were requested to propose types of lamps. |
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| − | To recognize outstanding off-grid lighting products that are available for purchase in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Senegal or Tanzania, Lighting Africa has launched the Lighting Africa Product Awards Program. Winners in each product category received a plaque and all winning products are granted the rights to display the mention “Winner of the Lighting Africa Outstanding [category] Product Award 2010” on packaging and marketing materials. Additionally, a Lighting Africa sponsored advertising campaign will be rolled out in conjunction with the awards to publicize the winners and raise consumer awareness about off-grid lighting.
| + | The award was raised in order to help agents, importers and users to evaluate products fast with regard to their quality. |
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| − | Lighting Africa is calling for inputs from the private sector to finalize a standard testing methodology for evaluating the performance of off-grid lighting products sold in African markets. The methodology is a tool that will help distributors (bulk-purchasing agents and importers,) government regulators and NGOs to quickly identify good-quality products or verify compliance with minimum performance levels.
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| − | The Lighting Africa Outstanding Products Awards 2010 is sponsored by Lighting Africa, a joint program of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (The "World Bank") and International Finance Corporation ("IFC"). | + | The Lighting Africa Outstanding Products Awards 2010 is financed by Lighting Africa. Lighting Africa is a cooperation of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (The "World Bank") and International Finance Corporation ("IFC"). |
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| − | The nomination period for the first round of awards was closed on October 2, 2009.
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| | == Contest Categories == | | == Contest Categories == |
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| − | Categories in which you may participate include: | + | Categories in contest contains: |
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| | *Ambient / room lights | | *Ambient / room lights |
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| | == Evaluation Criteria == | | == Evaluation Criteria == |
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| − | *'''Performance '''‐ This criterion evaluates light output and quality, lighting duration, stability, performance of charging and energy<br>storage subsystems, and durability. | + | *'''Performance: '''light output, quality, duration of light, stability, charging process, batteries, and durability. |
| − | *'''Design '''‐ This criterion evaluates ease of use, efficiency, environmental impacts, special product features (for example mobile phone charging). | + | *'''Design: '''ease of use, efficiency, environmental impacts, additional appliances (mobile phone charging). |
| − | *'''Affordability '''‐ This criterion evaluates startup investment cost, maintenance of the Products, and general affordability. | + | *'''Affordability: '''initial investment cost, maintenance, affordability. |
| − | *'''Advertising '''‐ This criterion evaluates the truthfulness, fairness, and non‐deceptiveness in advertising the Products. | + | *'''Advertising '''‐ truthfulness, fairness, and non‐deceptiveness during advertise of products. |
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| | == Selection Process == | | == Selection Process == |
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| − | The Products are judged through a four‐step process that includes:
| + | Products, which were requested, are evaluated on the basis of the following methods: |
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| − | *'''initial screening''' (October – December 2009) ‐ For the purposes of the first stage, up to five Products from each category are selected based on initial screening. Samples of the Products selected in this first stage are procured from neutral retail markets or unbiased channels for subsequent rounds of judging.
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| − | *'''laboratory testing '''(November, 2009 to March 2010) ‐ The second stage includes detailed lab testing. The laboratory testing used to assess the performance of the products were developed for Lighting Africa by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems. The tests include performance measurements such as total lumen output, daily hours of service provided, lumen maintenance, battery storage capacity, charging system performance (e.g., solar module power output), and a number of others. The test methods used in the process are available for download from [http://www.lightingafrica.org/node/7536 http://www.lightingafrica.org/node/7536].
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| − | *'''field judging''' (January – February 2010) ‐ The third stage includes field judging by typical consumers of off‐grid lighting in Sub‐Saharan Africa. | + | *'''initial screening''' (October – December 2009) ‐ First of all, until five products from each category are chosen within the initial screening. |
| − | *'''final selection''' (May 2010) ‐ In stage four, the laboratory and field judging results from the second and third stage are considered by an expert committee, appointed by Lighting Africa, who chose zero to three Winning Products from each category. <ref>http://www.lightingafrica.org/node/6920</ref> | + | *'''laboratory testing '''(November, 2009 to March 2010) ‐ This phase contains a lab test. The methodology for this laboratory testing was developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (with preliminary work of GTZ). The tests contain measurements such as total lumen output, daily duration of light, lumen maintenance, battery storage capacity, charging system and others. Test methods in detail are available: [http://www.lightingafrica.org/node/7536 http://www.lightingafrica.org/node/7536]. |
| | + | *'''field judging''' (January – February 2010) ‐ This stage includes user's evaluation in field tests. |
| | + | *'''final selection''' (May 2010) ‐ An expert commitee evaluated all lamps and chose the winner. <ref>http://www.lightingafrica.org/node/6920</ref> |
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| | == Results == | | == Results == |
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| − | The products that have passed the test specifications include: | + | The following products fulfil test specifications: |
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| | <br>• Barefoot Power - Firefly 12 LED<br>• Barefoot Power - PowaPack<br>• d.Light Design - Nova S200<br>• Greenlight Planet - Sun King<br>• Philips - Udaymini<br>• Solux - LED-50<br>• SunTransfer - SunTransfer 2<br> | | <br>• Barefoot Power - Firefly 12 LED<br>• Barefoot Power - PowaPack<br>• d.Light Design - Nova S200<br>• Greenlight Planet - Sun King<br>• Philips - Udaymini<br>• Solux - LED-50<br>• SunTransfer - SunTransfer 2<br> |
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| | <br> | | <br> |
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| − | Five of these seven products were recently recognized in the Lighting Africa Outstanding Product Awards competition. The award winners, listed by category, were:
| + | Award winners are:<br> |
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| | [[Image:Winners of Lighting Africa.jpg]] | | [[Image:Winners of Lighting Africa.jpg]] |
The differences of the product quality found in the market survey underline the need to inform potential consumers about lantern quality and to define standards and norms to make the quality of consumer goods comparable.[1]
Available products out of Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Senegal or Tanzania were considered. Distributors were requested to propose types of lamps.
The award was raised in order to help agents, importers and users to evaluate products fast with regard to their quality.
The Lighting Africa Outstanding Products Awards 2010 is financed by Lighting Africa. Lighting Africa is a cooperation of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (The "World Bank") and International Finance Corporation ("IFC").
Products, which were requested, are evaluated on the basis of the following methods:
