Off-Grid Lighting and Electricity

Nearly 1/3 of the world's population lacks clean, adequate power. Many of these people have no likelihood of accessing government grids in the near future and many market solutions are unaffordable. For a strong overview of these needs, see the 2004 World Energy Outlook Report. 25 of the 41 enterprises surveyed are addressing this challenge.

 

The major models are: Centralized power and lighting systems at the community level (8 enterprises) Fixed systems powering individual homes and businesses (13 enterprises) Portable Power Products (13 enterprises)

 

The twenty first century has been characterized by extremely rapid growth in electricity use and the continued expansion of electricity into rural areas. Since the turn of the century, the government has made a considerable effort to push the adoption of renewables. This was reinforced through the passage of the Renewable Energy Law in 2005, which aimed to shift energy mix away from coal and further towards renewables. The government has also been aggressively pushing energy conservation, which is enforced by the Energy Conservation Law.