Innovating clean energy solutions for communal lighting in remote villages: A case of solar high mast lights in Golaghat, Assam

Remote villages of India have faced several developmental challenges over the years, owing to their inaccessibility, remoteness, and poor socio-economic conditions. Infrastructure, including energy access, was limited due to the unfeasibility of extending grid connections to these locations. Today, despite achieving almost universal electricity access, lighting of communal spaces such as streets and public services remain scattered and inadequate. Here, renewable and clean energy solutions bridged the gap in access to modern lighting solutions for village spaces. Solar high mast light is one such technology that proved to be a reliable, affordable, and technologically robust option for community lighting in Golaghat, Assam. This paper debates about the technical advantage and social benefits of solar high mast lights installed through a partnership between Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). The intervention has led to increased operational hours of a local cultural centre, which has also witnessed a steady increase of tourist footfall during the project period.