a d.light Initiative

Light for Education [LiFE]Project Report

“Light for Education”A Brighter Future for Students in India

BackgroundRight to Education is the primary right of every citizen of India, whether a child resides in a high profile society or in

a far away not so developed secluded village. Schools in rural areas are promoted to raise the level of education

and literacy in rural India. According to Just Indian Schools the conditions of rural education in India, is improving

steadily and the government is also providing full support and providing with many initiatives. The fee structure in

these schools is also very low so that every child can study and afford it.

Children have to walk miles to reach their school. Rural schools pay special attention to children in these locations

so that each child gets an equal and important opportunity:

A) They promote reading and writing and enhanced basic education.

B) They provide study material to every student.

C) These schools also provide meals during school hours, uniforms etc.

D) They implement library system, which provide books, newspapers & magazine to children.

E) They provide science kits and equipment for hands-on-learning.

F) They also give scholarships to deserving students regularly, who wish to study ahead.

between the ages of 6 and 14 years has the right to free and compulsory education, as per RTE

Act 2009. This act seems incomplete without the presence of clean & bright light which most of the

students in India do not have. , students must study to excel in today's

education system. Light is the single largest barrier to studying. Lack of light is an urgent and preventable

education problem, yet never before has there been a viable solution. Until now!

BUT they do not provide light for studying in the night during frequent power cuts

Every child

Tomaximize their potential

d.light has partnered with UP Govt schools to create the

“Light for Education” campaign across the state

Light for Education

About d.light Energy

Highlights We are a new Social Enterprise focused on impacting lives at the Bottom of Pyramid

We currently offer portable solar lighting products that

are built on the 4 pillars viz. Design, Technology, Affordability and Durability.

We have high volume production capacity with rigorous testing procedures to create world-class products.

We use world-class design principles to increase affordability of our products globally without compromising on quality.

We regularly conduct in-depth research and understand consumer needs to build and adapt our products.

We work closely with our alliance partners to ensure last mile reach of our products.

We are high growth company financed by Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Garage Technology Ventures, Mahindra Group, Nexus Venture Partners, Acumen Fund, Gray Matters Capital and Omidyar Network.

A Brighter Future

d.light energy is an Indian consumer products company serving people without access to reliable electricity.

Today, d.light serves customers in multiple states

around the country and has impacted the life of

lacs of people though solar lighting products.

d.light Introduction

Our MissionWe aim to enable households without reliable electricity to attain the same quality of life as those with electricity. We will begin by replacing every kerosene lantern with clean, safe and bright light. Our goal is to impact 100 million lives by the end of 2020.

d.light Offices d.light Sales

Our PartnersWe take pride in our partners and work along with them to ensure success at every end. Our key partners include, FINO, Bharat Petroleum, Educompwind energy major Suzlon, World Vision, SKS Microfinance, Shell Foundation, Dharma network, ITC e-Choupal, SEWA network etc.

Our CustomersIn India over 125 million people who live with un-reliable access to electricity Currently, kerosene is their primary source of lighting.

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Benefits of d.light solar lighting

Millions of households in India, do not have access to reliable electricity. These households use dangerous, dim, smoky kerosene lanterns to complete their daily work like studying, cooking, and other household tasks. Our products improve the quality of life in many important ways:

1 Agoramoorthy, Govindasamy and Hsu, Minna (2009); Human Ecology2 Madan, Dave & Singh, Kartikeya (2007). "Rural Solar Lighting Assessment". p. 1-12 Dabkan, Rajasthan in 20093 Income boosting activities include less kerosene, longer work hours and field work Source: SKS customer survey (Customer N = 392)4 d.research data base, Oct 2009 (Internal research & evaluation team)

Lighting the Lives of the Impoverished in India's Rural & Tribal Drylands;

ImproveEducation

Children of all ages, study better and for longer periods with solar light

1-A scientific study conducted in Gujarat

found that theaverage studyhours increased

from 1.47 hours to 2.71 hoursper day (84.3%

increase).2-Another Study done in

Rajasthan indicates the average study hours

increased to 1.5 hours per day

Improve Productivity

Household productivity and income increases as d.light enables extra hours of light everyday.

-88% of d.light customers 3surveyed cited

additional incomegeneration with the help of d.light products.

ImproveSavings

Customers save money on kerosene consumption and time on kerosene purchase. d.light offers free light everyday.

- 27% of the customers reported ZERO liters of kerosene usage post d.light, while 62% reported decrease in kerosene consumption upto 1 litre per month

4since d.light purchase.

ImproveSavings

Customers save money on kerosene consumption and time on kerosene purchase. d.light offers free light everyday.

- 27% of the customers reported ZERO liters of kerosene usage post d.light, while 62% reported decrease in kerosene consumption upto 1 litre per month

4since d.light purchase.

ImproveHealth

d.light is safe and improves health from reduced indoor air pollution (IAP).

- A high profile example last year occurred in Tanzania when 12 female secondary students were burned to death in a dormitory after one student's mosquito net caught fire as she accidently dozed off while studying.

d.light Quality Assurance

Our Commitment to Qualityd.light integrates Quality throughout every stage of our product design, production, shipping and delivery:

Our products have passed a variety of certification standards listed below, as well as CE certification:

Our design teams make sure our products can withstand tough and rugged conditions including environments with extreme heat, humidity, dust, rain , and impact from accidental drops or rough transportation conditions.Our products undertake severe stress testing in these conditions to simulate potential customer environmentsAll our factories and suppliers undergo regular audits to ensure compliance with d.light's quality, labor and environmental standardsWe also carry out regular and rigorous quality reviews, with acommitment to achieve above industry average pass rates inmass production. This allows our team of Quality Engineers to ensure every shipment is of excellent quality.

IEC 60598-2-4IEC 60598-1: 2003 +AMD1IEC 61347-2-13: 2006IEC 61347-1: 2007Nigeria - SONCAPKenya - PVoC

Recognitions

Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy - Gold Award 2010

The BBC revealed their selection of a solar-powered lamp and charger (D.LIGHT S200) as the 100th object in their highly successful radio series.

Best Consumer Product Design - The Kiran, Design Week Awards 2010

Social Venture Network Innovation Award

Global Cleantech 100 List in 2009 & 2010

GoingGreen Top 100

Global 250 List

“Our defect rate has been less than 0.3% till date.”

d.light S1Introduction

The Ultra-Affordable Light for Ambitious Students

d.light S1

d.light S1

is a high-brightness solar LED light combining a very attractive price point with a

functional design, which strengthens d.light ’s tradition of quality and durability.

can be charged in one day with its integrated solar panel, or in a few hours

through an AC adaptor. Its chrome-plated handle allows d.light S1 to easily orient

towards the sun during the day, and to point its direct light as your eyes require at night,

making it the perfect solution for studying and reading.

d.light S1: Introduction

MRP

` 399

d.light S1: Benefits

LiFE - Proof of Concept

Proof of Concept - the pilot process

Education is the key to individual and community growth. Without access to light, hundreds of millions of students across India are unable to realize their full potential. Light is the single largest barrier to studying. d.light & UP Govt Schools have completed a pilot for a high-quality, clean, bright, affordable solar study light, d.light S1 with the students in UP Govt Schools to understand the demand and potential and to improve their ability to perform in school.

d.light did a pilot to test the d.light s1 solar light in 4 schools in UP. Purpose of the pilot was to test the demand & usage of S1 lights among students in government schools. If the students demonstrated a strong liking for the product, through purchase or intent to purchase, the pilot would be scaled up for a nation-wide rollout. The aim was to improve education in India by increasing the productivity of students and teachers. Students were provided d.light S1 free of cost to use for preparation of their Final Exams. Students, Teachers & Headmasters were personally explained the purpose of the pilot, benefit of solar lights, and a live demonstration was conducted to showcase the best use of lights. Students were strictly advised to either return or purchase the lights after the exams when admit cards would be collected. Impact and demand for the lights was measured to determine the value of a nationwide “Light for Education” campaign.

1. 4 schools for Class 8 & 10 were identified for the pilot based on electrification status and willingness to participate in the lighting project.

2. d.light educated, demonstrated, and distributed the lights to all Class 8 & 10 students (lights delivered to each school location)

3. d.light seeded other models of solar lanterns (d.light S10 & S200) to all class teachers and Headmasters for their cooperation and their benefit

4. d.light recorded the data of each student participating in the project5. d.light periodically monitored the usage of the lights and was available for any questions and feedback

a. d.light employed one person full time to work in the pilot locationsb. Feedback on Excitement, Usage, Number of Hours, and other users of the lights were taken

6. d.light conducted a detailed sample study (40 nos student households) about the performance of d.light S1 and its impact on kids education

7. Between May-June 2011, students either returned the lights to the Headmaster or purchased the lights 8. Students feedback was recorded and presented with videos9. Data from the pilot is compiled and presented by d.light

Purpose:

Pilot Terms:

Process:

S.N. District

d.light S1 Quantities

for Class viii students

d.light S1 Quantities for

Class x students

1 Deoria 80 144

2 Aurriya 85 135

3 Pilibhit 75 123

4 Lakhimpur 95 312

335 714

Schools

LiFE - Proof of Delivery

The Pilot Results

Hypothesis of the pilot:

Result of the Pilot:The maiden education pilot was super successful in all the four districts of Uttar Pradesh. The above graph portrays that an average and gave the cash to the collecting authorities. An additional 8% of the students despite liking the product couldn’t buy the light to shortage of money. While the rest (not shown in the graph) are the students which are not reachable )

a) There is a BIG demand of lights around the school area as stated by the school staff, school peons, adjacent retailers, student parents etc.b) Other students of the school were also very keen to purchase the lights as reported by the school staff

The success of this pilot can be attributed to tremendous support and enthusiasm displayed by all the Government Schools, and wards of each students.

“Pilot will be termed as success, If after the exams >50% students of Class VIII & Class X have a liking for the product and instead of returning the light they opt for buying the light in cash. This also includes students who wish to purchase but do not have ample money to buy the product”

75% of the students bought light

Area (No. of Lights distributed)

Aurriya (220) Deoria (224) Pilibhit(198) Lakhimpur (407)

61% 58% 89%81%

7%

16%

3% 9%

8% 13% 2% 4%

Returned the light

Intent to buy light

Bought the light

Students who bought the light*

* excludes studentswhich are not reachable

The Pilot ResultsPerformance in the Final Exams [150 students surveyed]

CY 1st Div CY 2nd Div CY Just Pass CY Fail

LY Fail(5 Students

scored)

LY Just Pass(113 Students

scored)

LY 2nd Div(23 Students

scored)

LY 1st Div(9 Students

scored)

100%

35%

57%

4 %

4 %

10%

23%

15%

52%

40%

20%

40%

There was a significant increase in students results this year and most of the parents attribute this success to d.light S1. Above mentioned graph highlights the following performance

a) 35%students who received 2nd division last year, improved their grades and scored 1st divb) More than 60% students improved their grades who last year just managed to pass their exams.c) An equivalent 60% students scored good marks after being failed in exams during last year.

These results are clear indications of the use and benefit of d.light S1 for the students community in the un-reliable Grid areas. Nearly all the parents who had either returned the light or have not bought it, post exam results have

shown their inclination towards buying the light. Here are some of the verbatim:

“I return the light because I have no money but I really like the like.”

“Without light no one reads seriously, so full credit goes to d.light, I want to purchase one more S1.”

“I can read at any time with this light”

“This is a new system, so children love this product”

LY = Last YearCY = Current Year

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LY)

Results Current Year (CY)

Perception of d.light S1 by parents:All the parents were very pleased to receive the

light from the school and post exams shared

following statements:

a) My son now studies very hard because of d.light but

I have seen him taking larger responsibilities in the

house

Ever since my child has got this light he keeps it

always close to him. I feel this light is his best friend

c) Ever since my son got this light his time to study has

increased considerably and he now study from 8 PM-

10 PM and in the morning from 4 AM to 6 AM.

b)

19%

57%

21%

1-2 Hr 2-3 Hr 3-4 Hr

Increase in Study time due to d.light :

Students of Class X & VII, during the preparation

period, revealed* that there is an average increase in

study hours of 2-3 Hours because of d.light S1.

Students who earlier use to study in the twilight due

to absence of gird said that they are very happy with

d.light S1, as it enables them to study inside their

homes and also during the night.

*Based on the telephonic survey of 250+ students

Increase in study hours due to d.light

Other Key Results from Pilot

Changes in Students behavior :

Students when contacted along with their wards

greeted us very well. Their wards were very pleased

with d.light S1, as it was instrumental in changing

their children’s behavior.Many parents reported* marked changes in their

children’s- discipline towards studying hours,

maturity levels, responsiveness towards household

tasks etc.The teachers of few school also recalled a change in

the response time from the students who had

receive d.light S1. *Based on the Personal Interviews

“Maturity”

“Discipline”

“Studious”

Other Key Results from Pilot

Success Testimonials

The Solar light given by d.light and Educomp to my students is equivalent to a “ ” as their eyes will be protected from the dirt and pollution of Kerosene Lanterns. I want this light to be made available for purchase for all the students.

Principal, Govt Inter College, Khampur Tola, Deoria

Eye Donation

The local demand for this light is huge. Everyone from in and around school area comes to us as ask where can they purchase this light in the market?

Class Teacher, Govt Inter College, Dulhapur Kisan, Lakhimpur

My child is studying more as compared to the past. She is very happy with the performance. I now feel the the burden of Kerosene Oil has completely reduced after my daughter got this d.light S1.

Parent of girl child, Govt Inter College, Deoria

Students are very pleased with this light. They are regularly

using this light for study.

I honestly feel that “ ”

Computer Faculty, Govt Inter College, Khampur Tola, Deoria

with d.light their future is Bright

LETS JOIN HANDS and wear our mission

“Light for Education[LiFE]” on our sleeves