Steven Chu, the US Secretary of Energy, announced a
plan to deploy clean technology on Monday, and I know
SELF can play an effective role in his Climate Renewables and Efficiency Deployment Initiative.
In yesterday’s edition of the
Washington Post,
Juliet Eilperin cites the
Solar Electric Light Fund as an organization with a proven track record of
bringing cost-effective solar solutions to poor villages in the developing world. Working with government, industry and non-governmental organization partners,
SELF has facilitated solar electricity projects in twenty countries, including Benin, Bhutan, Brazil, Burundi, China, Côte d’Ivoire, India, Indonesia, Losotho, Navajo Nation, Nepal, Nigeria, Rwanda, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe.
We’ve been at it for
twenty years. Here’s what we do:
- Bring partners and participants together
- Establish “in-country” joint ventures and “for-profit partnerships”
- Develop projects with community and local stakeholders
- Identify options, formalize project design
- Develop written proposals
- Design micro-finance mechanisms
- Provide technical design of photovoltaic systems
- Procure project equipment
- Train solar technicians
- Manage system installation
- Manage partner relationships
- Build the capacity of local partners
- Prepare evaluations and reports
Our goal? We work to deliver solar power and wireless communications to rural villages in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
SELF facilitates a new generation of
“whole village” solar electrification projects to power water pumping and purification, drip irrigation, health clinics (including vaccine refrigeration), schools, household and community lighting, and income-generating micro-enterprises that can be scaled up through the private sector or through public/private partnerships.
Back in Copenhagen, I had the pleasure of meeting
Haakon, the
Crown Prince of Norway, on Saturday at the
Bright Green Expo.
The Norwegians are taking Copenhagen very seriously, and are also deeply committed to eradicating poverty in developing nations.
It’s time. The world has waited long enough.
“I’m lovin’ it”?? There is still hope in Copenhagen. And a sense that our time is running out. The sincerity of the world’s young people is on full display, as Bishop Desmond Tutu observed. 
The question I’m raising is: can our governments and our businesses show the same level of commitment?
Our position is simple: energy is a human right.
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