Design Application of Solar Backpack for African Rural Area Students

Access to electricity is a significant challenge in Africa, the impact of which is even greater in schools in isolated rural areas. According to the World Bank, approximately 600 million people (nearly two-thirds of the population) in Sub-Saharan Africa lack access to electricity, leading to difficulties in people’s livelihood, including limited educational opportunities. It has been observed that students living in rural areas take long-distance walks (1h to 2hrs) to school early in the morning and return home after dark with no street lights. Moreover, many students study at night without access of light and electricity. Therefore, this study aims to explore the potential applications and benefits of solar-powered backpacks for African students living in rural areas. The study was conducted in Comoros, at the Mohammadia Community School in the village of Irohe Oichili and the village of Chomoni Oichili where students walk more than 6.5km to get to school. Three hundred and one students were interviewed. The questionnaire was employed to capture necessary data for the solar-powered backpack design and a vivid picture of the importance of this design in Comorian rural communities for students. The parameters within the questionnaire includes families’ financial status, whether electrical power shortage affects the students’ educational performance, whether the solar-powered backpack will benefit the students and so on. The results of the survey showed that 82% of the students came from families with low financial status. 80% of the students reported that electrical power shortage affects their educational performance. 90% of the students reported that they would benefit from using a solar-powered backpack. Therefore, a solar-powered backpack was designed with a solar panel attached to the front of the backpack, and a LED light was attached directly inside the backpack. For the charging facility, the backpack is occupied by a USB port, located on the bag’s exterior, connected to the charge center and the battery, while the battery inside the pack is stored neatly away. The battery provides power to the port through an extension system connected inside the backpack. The prototype was tested, and we found that the average time spent on the school way to charge is 1h48min. The capacity of the battery charged on the way is 36%. The period of usage for studying is 1h30min, and the battery life after usage is 16%. As a result, a solar-powered backpack could provide a convenient, portable and sustainable source of electricity for student living in remote areas who are unable to access the electrical grid. Future work is to update the prototype with an attached solar panel that can be disconnected for better charging when the student enters the classroom or at home.