Energy is a human right.
The mission of the Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF) is to provide
solar power and wireless communications to
the one quarter of humanity who lives in energy poverty.
The Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF) facilitates the delivery
of solar power and wireless communications to remote villages,
improving the health, education, agriculture and economic status
of people in the developing world. SELF and its partners deliver “whole
village” solar electrification projects that power water
pumping and drip irrigation systems, health clinics, schools, street lighting, micro-enterprise,
wireless communications, and multi-purpose community centers.
What is Energy Poverty?
Energy poverty exacts its toll on the health, education, food
and livelihoods of the world’s poorest people.
- Health Clinics go without lighting and medical equipment and
without refrigeration for vaccines and anti-venom serum for
yellow fever, polio, tetanus, whooping cough, and hepatitis
A and B to keep alive and potent.
- Schools go without dependable lighting to gain greater knowledge
and well being.
- Community knowledge: connectivity by radio and telephone is
power-constrained.
- Agricultural production is hindered by lack of irrigation systems
and precious day-light hours are lost to traditional fuel-gathering
making economic progress nearly impossible.
- Lighting homes with kerosene lamps, which give dim and wavering
light, emit cancer-causing smoke, and cause thousands of devastating
house fires every year. In contrast, light produced by solar
power is clean, steady, bright, and safe
- Surface Water is dangerously contaminated with disease-carrying
waste and agricultural runoff.
- Micro-Enterprise is severely hampered as nightfall comes at about
6:30 p.m. year-round, effectively ending the productive work
day.
- Urban Migration: The explosive growth of cities in developing
nations is straining the natural environment and overwhelming
social service systems.
- Global Warming: Families rely on kerosene for lighting and
add 600 pounds of heat trapping carbon dioxide to the atmosphere
every year. Villages that rely on diesel generators add many
tons more.
SELF has three guiding principles in selecting village electrification
projects for its programs: Self Help. Self Reliance. Self Determination.
- Solar electrification projects are chosen by the people in
rural communities as full participants. The villagers determine
priorities as well as the project scope.
- Solar systems are purchased by villagers through micro-credit
financing. Each family pays for its own system and participates
in the ownership of community systems.
- Villagers are trained to install, maintain and replicate their
solar systems.
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