In rural and dwellings not connected to the electricity grid in Africa, the most important use of electricity is for lighting. A citizen would purchase a solar home system (SHS) as a substitute for kerosine lamps which are hazardous because they cause fire and emit CO2 and other gases that are harmful for the environment.
The technology used for light today is light emitting diodes (LED). They LED light bulbs are affordable, last a long time, have a low temperature, an excellent hue, and have a very good ambient light with low electrical power consumption. They have become the standard in the majority parts of the world.
There are implementations of SHS where the LED, battery and solar panel are integrated into a handheld device. These devices have a hook so they can dangle on a rope. Since, they are mobile they are put in the sun for charging and then transferred to the house for lighting.
In a more elaborate applications, the number of LEDs is increased so as to provide light for a number of rooms in a dwelling. The LEDs are standard and can be replaced when they stop working.
