Case Studies

We have established the urgent need for energy amongst the poorest sector of the population as well as some of the barriers that prevent this from happening.

As each village or community is unique, it is also unique in terms of it's volume of demand for energy, distance from an electricity grid, and the possibilities for various technologies due to its climate, geography, and available resources. These inimitable differences resist generalizations- what works for the island of Kiribati is different than what works for a village in Mali.

What follows is an examination of a cross-sector of cases with different emphases (technology, policy, financing, etc.) being placed on each accordingly. Hopefully, the diversity of cases considered will help shed light on the numerous aspects of the rural electrification process.

• Innovative Policy: Chile's Rural Electrification
• People want Light, Not Solar Energy: Electrification of the Islands of Kiribati
• Technological Innovation: Multifunctional Platforms in rural Mali
• Proof it can exist: A non-subsidized market for photovoltaics in rural Kenya
• An Historical Model: TVA, The New Deal, and America's rural electrification