Researchers from the University of Manchester have found that improper waste management practices for off-grid solar technologies in Malawi are releasing life-threatening levels of lead pollution.

Getting energy from solar panels makes sense in areas of the world that receive sunshine most days of the year, such as Malawi in sub-Saharan Africa.

Solar is often deemed to be a clean energy source for remote areas in countries that have no immediate connection to the national electricity grid. Such off-grid solar technologies are seen as crucial for expanding electricity access to hundreds of millions of people. Indeed, global energy companies are subsidising the installation of solar technology in these countries.

However, researchers at the University of Manchester have uncovered a dark side to this emissions-free form of generating electricity – that of improper waste management practices that could potentially be life-threatening.

Household-scale off-grid solar energy systems, which are...