Light for Electricity: Educating Youth to Combat Electricity Shortage for People in Sumba, Indonesia
Sumba Island in Indonesia is renowned for its abundant solar irradiation throughout the year. According to data from the Global Solar Atlas, Weepangali Village, located in the southwest of the island, experiences an average global tilted irradiation of 5.5 kWh/m²/day. Despite this high solar energy potential, the electrification ratio in the area remains relatively low. A report by Firman (2021) shows that in 2020, only 33.23% of households on the island had access to electricity from state-owned utility company (PLN), while 40.92% received limited access to electricity by other means (personal or community developed power system), and the rest lived without electricity. Therefore, acquiring knowledge and skills related to solar power systems is crucial.
Don Bosco Vocational High School, run by the Salesian Don Bosco congregation in Weepangali Village, aims to develop education for youth. The school plans to open a renewable energy department in the near future. To assist the school, Universitas Pelita Harapan organized a 5-day onsite training on Solar Power Systems for students and teachers from 18 – 22 June 2024. The training program covered both theoretical concepts and practical aspects of solar power system installation and configuration, including off-grid, on-grid, and hybrid systems. This training empowers students and teachers to meet the high demand on the island for skilled engineers and installers of solar power systems. This initiative aligns with the global celebration of the International Day of Light (IDL) 2024 as well as the United Nations’ SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 7 (Affordable Clean Energy), and SDG 13 (Climate Action), and is endorsed by The Indonesian Optical Society. This activity was highlighted in the International Day of Light (IDL) Newsletter, December 2024 by the IDL Committee for global initiative in promoting the importance of light and light-based technologies by UNESCO.
