I attended a recent lecture on solar projects in the developing world, one of many impressive discussions that were part of Climate Week NYC.  Solar One, a local organization that promotes education about green energy and the potential for solar energy in NYC, hosted the event.  Panelists included a representative from Arc Finance, which micro-finances  various projects, Buksh Group, a Pakistani retailer involved in financing renewable energy projects, ECAMI, Central America’s largest supplier of PV systems, and Ashden Awards, an organization that awards best practice sustainable energy programs.

I was both impressed and pleased to see such a well-spoken panel with true experience in utilizing solar power to electrify poor communities.  Currently, 1.6 billion people world-wide live without electricity.  By micro-financing solar projects, or perhaps a direct donation of solar panels, families and communities are able to increase productivity (and therefore earnings) and maintain proper health clinics, for example – which all helps to break the extreme cycle of poverty that persists in certain regions.  Clive Ponting’s A Green History of the World discusses why the underdeveloped world is concentrated most heavily around the Equator.  Solar energy is a natural fit for these regions- due to the fact that it is reliable, scalable, distributed, and sustainable.  

I have a strong personal interest in this type of work, and have been lucky enough to visit an Ayu Foundation project in a rural part of Mexico where the land is not fit for agriculture, leaving the local people with little opportunity for income.  This particular project works to provide local populations with greenhouses to grow tomatoes, roses, and other native produce.  Irrigation systems powered by solar panels on the greenhouses help to increase productivity three-fold, tripling the returns to the local families that work there.  I was incredibly touched by the sincerity of the local people who had the opportunity to work in the greenhouses.  Solar power truly has the potential to transform underdeveloped regions of the world.

How do we all get involved?  SELF, the Solar Electric Light Fund, is an organization that works to bring green electricity to rural populations.  Individuals and organizations can participate at any level to help further their mission.