Many households in impoverished regions around the world are starting to shift away from inefficient and polluting fuel-based lighting—such as candles, firewood, and kerosene lanterns—to solar-LED systems. While this trend has tremendous environmental benefits, a new study by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has found that it spurs economic development as well, to the tune of 2 million potential new jobs.

In its second year, CSR volunteers from PepsiCo Pakistan launched the 2016 Lighting up Lives campaign in the holy month of Ramazan to strive towards improving communities. PepsiCo Partners with local organizations to install solar lights across Pakistan.

PTL Solar is an international solar street lighting solutions provider and part of Green Energy, while Carmanah is a global solar LED company. They will manufacture solar LED lighting solutions for outdoor applications at a facility in Dubai's Energy and Environment Park (Enpark).

In the U.S., the city of Raleigh, North Carolina, has completed its first outdoor lighting project that combines light emitting diode (LED) technology with solar renewable energy in place of traditional electricity. Progress Solar Solutions, the City's contractor on the project, LLC of Apex, installed the solar-powered lighting at the City Parks and Recreation Department's Marsh Creek remote operations facility near New Hope Road and Daly Road.