SOLAR CAN IMPROVE LIFE
OF RURAL POOR
SOLAR CAN IMPROVE LIFE
OF RURAL POOR
Almost two billion people in developing countries have no access to electricity, but a recent study indicates that the use of solar energy could help bring electricity to many of these people.
The report, "Solar Photovoltaic for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development," by Food and Agriculture Organization states, "The time is ripe now to advance towards a new phase of solar energy beyond the light bulb. We should not only use solar systems for household lighting, but also for pumping water, irrigation, cattle watering, small cottage and agro industries, facilitating educational radio and tv programs and health services."
According to the report, the dominant use of solar energy could be in agriculture including solar pumping for drip irrigation. The uses of solar energy are not limited to agriculture says the report, but could be used to operate such small tools as drills, blenders, mobile phones, and televisions. FAO is calling upon governments to promote the use of solar energy to meet the needs of the rural poor.
"It is realized that the most disadvantaged," said the report. "subsistence farmers will generally not be able to afford solar systems. Solar systems do, however, provide some particular advantages that make them interesting for basic social services such as water supply and vaccine refrigeration."
Written by: Earth Times
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