A Million Homes, a World of Possibilities

[kristopher]

A Million Homes, a World of Possibilities
By Steve Leone
June 20, 2011


The growth of the renewable energy industry is often measured by capacity. How much power can be produced is central to our understanding of a changing world and shifting needs.

But as kilowatts turn into megawatts and megawatts turn into gigawatts, perhaps a better measure is a more human one. How many people are living healthier, more productive lives, especially in developing nations? This usually doesn’t fit neatly into a chart, and it’s often so anecdotal that it’s hard to put a face on.

Sometimes simple numbers can tell a story that is off the grid and under the radar. The most recent is an impressive milestone announced last week that Bangladesh has surpassed one million homes powered by solar energy.

"It's the fastest expansion of solar energy anywhere in the world,” Nazmul Haq of the state-run Infrastructure Development Company, which finances clean energy projects, told Agence-France Press. "We crossed the 1 million threshold more than 18 months ahead of schedule (and) we have set a new target to cross 2.5 million by 2014."

Bangladesh is the eighth ...

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/blog/post/2011/06/a-million-homes-a-world-of-possibilities