The problem of rural electrification has been traditionally handled by conventional means in a process of successive approximations. In this process, the most remote and dispersed population is attracted to larger population centers, which are then served by a mini-electrical local grid, fed by diesel gen-sets or small hydroelectric generators. As the load increases, a […]

The Regional Solar Programme (RSP) was one of the early systematic programs to apply PV technology to solve pressing problems in the Sahel region of sub-Saharan Africa. Financed by a grant from the European Commission, to cover the cost of PV equipment and other procedures such as training, information and public awareness activities, regional coordination […]

An estimated two million households lack access to grid electricity in this country. Recent studies indicate that at least 10% of these households could afford a SHS at current prices, based on a monthly household income of Rs. 5000 (about €85) [53]. A market study commissioned by the National Development Bank of Sri Lanka in […]

The number of people in Mexico with no access to electricity has decreased in the past 10 years, mostly by grid extensions with some modest contribution from renewables, mainly PV. A highly dispersed rural population and a rough terrain make grid extensions technically difficult and econom­ically unviable, so conventional electrification rates have decreased in recent […]

PV rural electrification projects in Brazil started in the period 1992-1993 [44]. Around 1500 SHS were installed as part of these projects in Northeast Brazil in cooperation with the local electricity distribution companies, who were responsible for systems installation, maintenance and performance monitoring. An initiative to promote the use of renewable energy was launched in […]

The National Rural Electrification Program (PRONER) was established to promote and support economic development in rural areas in order to improve the living conditions and the quality of life of the population. The original objective of the program was to provide electrical services to 100 000 households in a time span of five years by […]

As part of the reform of the electrical sector in Argentina, the provincial electricity markets were divided into centralized and dispersed sectors. Each sector has its own structure, its own mission and its own operational form. Then, the program to supply electricity to the rural and dispersed population of Argentina (PAEPRA for its name in […]

It is estimated that by the end of the twentieth century, anywhere between 500 000 and one million small PV systems had been installed to power rural homes in developing countries [12]. On top of that, tens of thousands of PV-powered water-lifting pumps and other communal services, such as health centers, schools, telephones, street lamps, […]