Community Light Centers provide solar-powered lighting as an enabler of social and economic development in areas lacking reliable electricity in developing countries.

Philips’ Community Light Centers are areas dedicated to making a social and economic impact by enabling sports, education, rural healthcare and extended hours of commercial activities. The areas measure 1,000 m2 – equivalent to the size of a small soccer pitch – and are lit with a new generation of innovative, solar-powered LED lights that provide area lighting to enable life at a communal level after dark.

Philips have developed more than 100 of the centers across Africa. A partnership with the Dutch Football Association (KNVB) has helped to train young people in key life skills such as sanitation, HIV prevention and crime avoidance through sports. The project also has the backing of the UN’s Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative.

We now have a really exciting opportunity to help enable social and economic development across emerging markets.

Ronald de Jong – Chief Market Leader and member of the Philips Executive Committee

An estimated 1.2 billion people globally lack access to electricity. This solution offers the prospect of increased economic and social development for communities that suffer from energy poverty. To do so, it makes use of the latest and most energy efficient lighting solutions.