Pay as you go solar power systems turn lives on in Guatemala

[Judi Lynn]

Pay as you go solar power systems turn lives on in Guatemala
Derek Markham
Technology / Solar Technology
March 11, 2013

Having access to electricity has a huge impact on people's lives, from enabling them to extend their days with lighting, to giving them a dependable method of charging their mobile phone. In many areas, the benefits of electricity that we take for granted are considered luxuries, and for 500,000 Guatemalans, just being able to turn on a light after dark for studying or working, instead of lighting a candle or kerosene lantern, is out of their reach.

Small solar power systems can (and have) been helping to improve the lives of many people in the developing world without access to the grid, but one big stumbling block to widespread adoption of these systems is their price tags. And it's not that the prices are incredibly expensive by U.S. standards, but rather that it's difficult for many of the people who need the systems (who also earn considerably less than most North Americans) to come up with the money all at once.

One Guatemalan renewable energy company believes it has the answer, in the form of a pay-as-you-go home solar energy system, and right now, they're raising money to help launch it across their country, with the help of an Indiegogo campaign.

"Approximately 520,000 homes in Guatemala are without access to electricity. This means that the productivity of the 2,600,000 people in those homes is limited by the hours of daylight. After dark, children cannot study, adults cannot work, and neighbors cannot communicate.

The vast majority of the families that we work with are subsistence farmers. They rely on candles and kerosene to light their homes. The use of these products results in excessive costs, accidental burns, and smoke inhalation. The total cost of buying candles and walking to the nearest town to pay for charging their cell phone is ~130 Quetzales per month. Our solution will cut this cost to 90 Quetzales a month empowering families to sustainably develop!"

More:
http://www.treehugger.com/solar-technology/pay-as-you-go-solar-power-guatemala.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+treehuggersite+%28Treehugger%29

[Warpy]

1. As far as lighting goes, the gravity light

is probably the best idea yet for the remote regions of the third world. It's under $10 at present, with a target cost of about $5. That means the payback period would be really short and the savings would accrue rapidly after that, as kerosene went off the shopping list unless it was being used for other purposes.

http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/bulletin/how-a-5-gravity-powered-led-could-revolutionize-cheap-lighting/7924

[Nihil]

2. Extra kick for the article in your reply ...