Bringing Off-Grid Solar to Remote Village Schools in Laos

Solar is usually about savings and sustainability at home. But some of Rezeca's most meaningful work has nothing to do with an electricity bill. Between 2014 and 2019, Rezeca and its partners brought electricity to schools in remote villages across Laos, where the grid does not reach, using off-grid solar power.

Where Rezeca installed off-grid solar in Laos

Working with the YMCA, NTU Earthlink at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Yingli Solar, the Rezeca team designed and installed standalone solar systems for three village school projects:

• Ban Phongsavanh, Luang Prabang province (2014): a 2 kW system for a school four hours by boat upstream from Luang Prabang
• Ban Keng Khene and Ban Lad Khammune, Luang Prabang province (2016): 3 kW of solar across the two schools, with LED lighting sponsored by Rezeca
• Ban Hua Hin, Oudomxay province (2019): a 1.6 kWp system, installed through Ecoventure 2019

In places like these, an off-grid solar system is often the first reliable source of electricity a school has ever had.

Why off-grid solar matters here

In a remote village with no grid connection, power cannot simply be switched on. Diesel generators are costly to run and depend on fuel being carried in. A solar system with battery storage works differently: it captures energy from the sun during the day and stores it for use after dark, with no fuel and very little maintenance. For a school, that can mean lighting for evening study, charging for devices, and the ability to run basic equipment.

Engineering for places without a grid

Designing for an off-grid site is a different exercise from a Singapore rooftop. There is no grid to export to or draw from, so the system has to be sized to carry the load on its own, with enough battery capacity to get through cloudy days. The equipment also has to be robust and simple enough to be looked after locally, long after the installation team has gone home.

The same engineering discipline Rezeca brings to landed homes and commercial roofs in Singapore is what makes projects like these work: careful load assessment, honest system sizing, and equipment chosen to last.

Watch the projects

• Solar installation at Ban Phongsavanh, Laos (2014)
• Solar installation at Ban Keng Khene and Ban Lad Khammune, Laos (2016)
• Ecoventure 2019: off-grid solar at Ban Hua Hin, Laos

Part of Rezeca's community work

The Laos projects are one of several community initiatives Rezeca supports, alongside a solar project for a rural school in Chiangmai, ongoing volunteering with the Caregiving Welfare Association, and Project Solar Proa at NUS. In 2025, this work was recognised when Rezeca was named a Company of Good by Singapore's National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC). Read more on Rezeca's CSR and community impact page.

For Rezeca, bringing solar to a village school in Laos and installing it on a home in Singapore come from the same belief: that clean, reliable power should be within reach for more people.

Frequently asked questions

Where has Rezeca installed off-grid solar in Laos?

Rezeca installed off-grid solar systems at village schools in Ban Phongsavanh (2 kW), Ban Keng Khene and Ban Lad Khammune (3 kW combined) in Luang Prabang province, and Ban Hua Hin (1.6 kWp) in Oudomxay province, between 2014 and 2019.

Who did Rezeca partner with on the Laos solar schools?

Rezeca worked with the YMCA, NTU Earthlink at Nanyang Technological University and Yingli Solar. The Ban Hua Hin installation was carried out through Ecoventure 2019.

Why do remote schools need off-grid solar?

These villages have no grid connection, and diesel generators depend on fuel being carried in. Off-grid solar with battery storage gives schools reliable power for lighting, charging and basic equipment, with no fuel and very little maintenance.