!"#$% '$()*+ ,-(."($#/ 0*121#-34 $35 0*.

$-%
-3 67%-1$8( 9:")";"#)$-1 <1"3"=2
A 3 ?ear CollaboraLlve hu ro[ecL beLween
Lhe unlverslLy of Ldlnburgh and SolarAld (2014-17)

6>()%$1)
Whlle governmenLs and donor agencles have encouraged Lhe growLh of markeLs for low cosL solar
phoLovolLalc Lechnologles ln Afrlca quesLlons abouL whaL happens when Lhese Lechnologles reach
Lhe end of Lhelr worklng llves remaln poorly undersLood. ln collaboraLlon wlLh a leadlng
lnLernaLlonal charlLy SolarAld, Lhls pro[ecL seLs ouL Lo address Lhe problem of solar wasLe ln Sub--
Saharan Afrlca, by developlng Lwo counLry case sLudles of Lhe culLures and pracLlces of wasLe and
recycllng around solar Lechnology. 1he pro[ecL wlll: 1) ldenLlfy ways ln whlch, and communlLles for
whom, solar wasLe becomes a resource, 2) analyse economles of wasLe, collecLlon, dlsposal and
recycllng, and 3) assess Lhe role and poLenLlal for SolarAld Lo promoLe recycllng. 1hese quesLlons wlll
provlde a comprehenslve lnslghL lnLo Lhe emergence and lmpllcaLlons of wasLe dlsposal and
recycllng, as well as provldlng, SolarAld, wlLh daLa around Lhe lmpacLs of Lhe solar lndusLry and
sLraLegles how Lo besL engage wlLh cllenLs ln Lhls pro[ecL and elsewhere ln souLhern Afrlca. 1he
pro[ecL wlll make Lhe resulLs of Lhe pro[ecL avallable Lo ma[or players ln Afrlca's off grld solar llghLlng
communlLy.

?"3)*@) $35 A$1B4%"C35
Whlle governmenLs and donor agencles have encouraged Lhe growLh of markeLs for low cosL solar
phoLovolLalc (v) Lechnologles ln Afrlca as parL of supporL for LranslLlons Lo a low carbon economy,
quesLlons abouL when Lhese Lechnologles reach Lhe end of Lhelr worklng llves remalns poorly
undersLood. 1hls pro[ecL seLs ouL Lo explore Lhe culLures of wasLe and recycllng around solar v
Lechnology ln Sub-Saharan Afrlca, Lhrough exLended case sLudles ln kenya and Malawl. kenya and
Malawl boLh have esLabllshed markeLs for solar v Lechnology - from solar home sysLems Lo ulLra-
affordable porLable lanLerns. 1he case sLudles wlll examlne Lhe condlLlons under whlch solar wasLe -
old and broken solar panels, solar baLLerles, regulaLors, caslngs and wlrlng sysLems - ls reworked,
reused or Lraded, recycled or decommlssloned, and Lhey wlll explore Lhe ways ln whlch economles
of wasLe, collecLlon, dlsposal and recycllng creaLe new value, brlnglng new moneLary rewards and
llvellhood opporLunlLles. 1he case sLudles wlll also look aL exlsLlng or parallel markeLs for comparable
e-wasLe, from moblle phones for example, and secLor speclflc lnLervenLlons. ln dolng so Lhe pro[ecL
seLs ouL Lo yleld new emplrlcal daLa LhaL can conLrlbuLe Lo Lhe developmenL of reallsLlc soluLlons Lo
Lhe fuLure recycllng and reuse of solar energy sysLems, by ldenLlfylng lnnovaLlve wasLe managemenL
sysLems LhaL may clrcumvenL Lhe need Lo bulld expenslve convenLlonal wasLe collecLlon
lnfrasLrucLure and can be repllcaLed ln communlLles around Lhe world.

0*(*$%1: D>E*1)-;*(
1he alm of Lhe pro[ecL ls Lo develop Lwo counLry case sLudles of Lhe culLures and pracLlces of wasLe
and recycllng around solar Lechnology. 1he research ob[ecLlves are Lhreefold:
1. 1o ldenLlfy ways ln whlch, and communlLles for whom, solar wasLe becomes a resource
2. 1o analyse economles of wasLe, collecLlon, dlsposal and recycllng.
3. 1o assess Lhe role and poLenLlal for SolarAld Lo promoLe recycllng.

1hese quesLlons wlll provlde a comprehenslve lnslghL lnLo Lhe emergence and lmpllcaLlons of wasLe
dlsposal and recycllng, as well as provldlng Lhe Lhlrd secLor parLner, SolarAld, wlLh daLa around Lhe
lmpacLs of Lhe solar lndusLry and sLraLegles how Lo besL engage wlLh cllenLs ln Lhls pro[ecL and
elsewhere ln souLhern Afrlca, and Lo make Lhe resulLs of Lhe pro[ecL avallable Lo ma[or players ln
Afrlca's off grld solar llghLlng communlLy.

F*):"5"#"42
1he pro[ecL wlll develop a mulLldlsclpllnary, comparaLlve case sLudy approach LhaL maps onLo Lhe
research ob[ecLlves ouLllned above. Lach counLry sLudy wlll lnvolve approxlmaLely 6 monLhs of fleld
based research, worklng ouL of SolarAlds counLry offlces Lo engage wlLh key lnsLlLuLlonal sLakeholders
and Lo map wasLe economles. ln each counLry Lhe pro[ecL wlll draw on an esLabllshed meLhodologlcal
LradlLlon ln sLudles of maLerlal culLure by seLLlng ouL Lo follow wasLe ob[ecLs Lhrough dlverse slLes,
locaLlons and arenas of value.

DC)1"=*( $35 G-=*)$>#*
H*$% I+ JKILMIN
reparaLlon, Lralnlng,
proposal

!"#"$%"& ( Courses Laken ln Core quanLlLaLlve daLa analysls,
8esearch skllls: daLa collecLlon
!"#"$%"& ) Courses Laken ln 8esearch deslgn, 8esearch ln Afrlca
Lnergy ollcy & ollLlcs *& Sclence, 1ech. and uevelopmenL
- lnlLlal meeLlng wlLh parLners and supervlsors (unlverslLy of Ldlnburgh and
arLners)
- language lessons (Ldlnburgh Clobal)
- Cne-monLh secondmenL Lo SolarAld
- CompleLlon of LxLended roposal and 1ranslLlon 8oard

H*$% J+ JKINMIO
lleldwork
- lleld based research beglns
- lleld reporLs for SolarAld
- 1 workshop/conference presenLaLlon ln counLry/or ln uk
H*$% P+ JKIOMIQ
WrlLlng up and
knowledge exchange
!"#"$%"& (
- ChapLer drafLlng (based ln Ldlnburgh) (forLnlghLly supervlslon)
- SecondmenL Lo SolarAld (London)
- leedback Workshop
!"#"$%"& )
- 1hesls drafLlng (based ln Ldlnburgh) (forLnlghLly supervlslon)
- 8eLurn vlslL for flnal fleldwork
- roducLlon of Case sLudy reporL and ollcy brleflng documenLs
- CompleLlon of Lhesls (Ldlnburgh)

R3"S#*54* <@1:$34*/ ,-((*=-3$)-"3 $35 T=.$1)
1he sLudenL wlll work closely wlLh SolarAld, and where posslble wlLh lnpuL from oLher key players ln
Lhe solar v secLor, Lo develop approprlaLe mechanlsms (fleld reporLs, brleflng paper, markeL
analyses) for maklng research flndlngs avallable Lo wlder publlcs and Lo ensure LhaL Lhe research
ouLcomes feed dlrecLly lnLo Lhe work of SolarAld and Lhe solar v secLor as a whole. 1hls research wlll
generaLe conslderable knowledge for SolarAld, beyond LhaL whlch lL ls currenLly able Lo generaLe
lnLernally, LhaL wlll help Lo esLabllsh pro-poor energy markeLs, whlch have been ldenLlfled by
organlsaLlons such as Lhe un, World 8ank and uflu as cruclal Lo susLalnable developmenL ln Lhe
world's pooresL counLrles. 1he resulLs of Lhls pro[ecL wlll engage and be made avallable Lo all ma[or
players ln Afrlca's off grld solar v secLor, lncludlng LlghLlngAfrlca, Lhe Clobal Cff-Crld LlghLlng
AssoclaLlon, Lhe Slllcon valley 1oxlcs CoallLlon and members of Lhe off grld soclal neLworklng slLe
LumlnaneL.

!C.*%;-("%2 6%%$34*=*3)(
1hls sLudenLshlp wlll be supervlsed by ur !amle Cross (LecLurer ln AnLhropology and uevelopmenL,
unlverslLy of Ldlnburgh), wlLh lnpuL from kaL Parrlson (ulrecLor of 8esearch & lmpacL) aL SolarAld.

65;-("%2 4%"C.
lL ls planned LhaL Lhe pro[ecL wlll form an advlsory group of relevanL people who would lnpuL lnLo Lhe
pro[ecL, help shape Lhe deslgn and process, help lnform Lhe research, revlew and advlse on lnlLlal
recommendaLlons/soluLlons, and Lhen asslsL ln dlssemlnaLlng and puLLlng lnLo pracLlce Lhe resulLs.

F"%* -37"%=$)-"3 $35 1"3)$1)(
lf you have quesLlons, would llke Lo be lnvolved or kepL lnformed on Lhe progress of Lhls pro[ecL
please geL ln Louch wlLh ur !amle Cross on [amle.cross[ed.ac.uk and/or kaL Parrlson on
kaL.harrlson[solar-ald.org.