Utilization of solar power by rural households in Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study investigated solar power utilization amongst rural households in Ikole Local Government Area, Ekiti State. Specifically, it examined the level of awareness; evaluated perception towards solar power, and identified the constraints to solar power utilization using a two-stage sampling procedure.  The first stage involved a random selection of six rural communities from the LGA while the second stage involved a random selection of twenty rural household heads from the rural communities making one hundred and twenty respondents. Awareness of usage of solar power to charge phones (90.8 %) and for household for lightening (90 %) ranked 1^st and 2^nd while the utilization of solar power for charging of phones (mean = 4.81), lightening of the house (mean = 4.58), lightening of the shop/office facilities (mean = 3.91), ranked 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd respectively. The respondents had a positive and favorable perception towards solar power utilization in terms of its reliability (x = 4.76), saving fuel costs (x = 4.76) and no payment of electricity bills (x=4.72) among others. ‘Requires sunny weather to work best’ (mean= 4.70) and ‘It is not reliable in raining season’ (mean = 4.29) were the strongest constraints to its utilization. A significant relationship existed between perception towards solar power and utilization of the same at p ≤ 0.05. Solar power is moderately utilized among rural dwellers to enhance their livelihood. It is recommended that Government, NGOs, and other stakeholders should provide solar powered lightening infrastructures for public utility and also subsidy and instalment   payments for rural dwellers to enhance affordability.