When we consider the true cost of energy, we need to look at the big picture, not just the rate on the utility bill. Conventional fuels have real social, environmental and economic impacts. There are annual and cumulative costs that stem from all of the pollutants (airborne, solid and liquid) emitted from mining, processing and transporting fossil fuels that impact our public health and environment. Electricity derived from coal and natural gas will never be able to outweigh the energy and continual resources required to produce it. Unlike conventional energy sources, PV systems produce clean electricity for decades after achieving their energy payback in three or fewer years- this is truly the magic of PV technology.
Historical data reported by the Edison electric institute shows that from 1929 to 2005, the average annual price increase for electricity has been 2.94% per year. And according to the Energy Information Administration’s June 2008 short term Energy outlook, utility rates are projected to increase by an average of 37% in 2008 and by another 3.6% in 2009.
When weighing the energy option (between the grid and solar, wind or water sources) it becomes apparent that solar energy is a very democratic form of energy. Because the sun shine everywhere, the potential to utilize solar energy is available to everyone. Additionally, as compared to generators (gas, or even wind or hydro-powered ones), because PV system have no moving parts, they are extremely reliable and require very little maintenance.
Rural Solar Lighting Project
Objective :- To encourage and promote the use of Alternative Energy Resources such as solar and bio-energy, for meeting the urgent needs of villagers in India.
Where and How We Will Begin
We will begin with implementing the use of solar lights to replace Kerosene lamps in the villages near Delhi, Bihar and U.P. India to provide benefits to the villagers such as gainful employment, improvement of health, and replacement of pollution causing Kerosene lamps with solar lamps.
Current Condition
Kerosene lanterns use heavily subsidized kerosene, which is very polluting, causes indoor air Pollution enough to cause several respiratory problems for children in enclosed village huts, and pose a fire hazard. Kerosene lanterns emit 1/3rd of a ton of carbon dioxide every year, and the total emissions in a villages are significant as hundreds of millions people use them.
We will make attempt to make solar lights available at an affordable cost, especially to the poorest in the villages. Families in each cluster of villages will be benefited in terms of the availability of lighting derived from clean energy for their income generating crafts activities, the provision of more reading hours for their school age children and creating more employment opportunities to local entrepreneurs, many of whom may be women.
Proposed Approach
Kerosene lamps that have been used in India are traditionally for indoor lighting at night and for undertaking urgent family tasks outside the home. School going children have limited facility to study at night, as they have to use kerosene lamps. If they replaced with solar lamps, school children can study and function for more numbers of hours at night. The germ of initiative is to replace kerosene lamps with solar energy charged lamps with small batteries that use LEDs that use very little power. Women empowerment will be a key feature. Villagers will be able to get the charged battery/light units for a cost that is equal to or less than what the currently subsidized price that they pay for kerosene.
How can you help?
Help dispel the darkness, and light up their lives, by making a tax deductible donation.
