Impact Assessment of Solar Home System Rehabilitation in the Rural Community “Cerrito de los Morreños”, Ecuador

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of the Rehabilitation of Solar Home Systems (SHS) in the community of Cerrito de los Morreños in the Gulf of Guayaquil, Ecuador. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from the community members using surveys to evaluate the impact of the systems in the community during the first year of operation. The surveys also evaluated the community’s understanding of the maintenance and operation of SHS. The results show how solar electrical power has provided the community with access to different services such as lighting, mobile phone charging, and connectivity through an internet service provider. These services are improving the quality of health and education, providing entertainment, supporting housework, as well as keeping the community members informed of current events. These results, in addition to a Social Return on the Investment (SROI) analysis, report on the impact assessment of the project.