For those born into adversity, education can break the cycle of poverty and set in motion positive change. Yet, the fight for universal education today faces several challenges. Among them: a lack of electricity. 

Today, 25% of primary schools lack electricity and 50% lack internet. Teachers can’t light their classrooms or teach with updated information. Students can’t pursue their natural curiosity in the same ways as their wealthier peers. Only when all students can learn with diverse, current resources can we achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4—quality education for all.  

An Overview of Goal 4 

Sustainable Development Goal 4 aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all.” An education is transformative. It enables people to lead futures that are free from poverty and hunger. Education also develops critical thinking, useful inside and outside of the classroom. And it saves lives. The survival rate of children beyond the age of five increases by 50% when their mothers possess literacy skills. 

Here’s where we stand on several key targets of Goal 4: 

• 90% of the world’s population completed primary education in 2020, while 66% completed secondary education.  
• In least developed countries, only 43% of children participated in pre-primary education, such as kindergarten and preschool.  
• In 2020, 41% of women and 36% of men completed tertiary education, such as attending a university.  
• For every 100 boys not attending school, there are 118 girls who are not. Goal 4 strives to ensure equal access to education for everyone.  
• 750 million people—the majority living in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa—are entirely illiterate, and two-thirds of them are women.  

For many of the world’s poorest people, education is a privilege. Lack of time and money keeps attendance low, and lack of resources keeps learning limited. Yet progress is possible, and energy has a crucial role to play.  

The Energy–Education Divide

Energy poverty creates an invisible line that separates students who have every opportunity from those who have almost none. Around the world, access to electricity determines whether a child can study after sunset, whether a teacher can use digital tools, and whether a school can store vaccines, operate computers, or maintain connectivity.

This energy–education divide is not just a technological issue—it is a social and economic one. Countries with the lowest access to electricity consistently show lower literacy rates, weaker learning outcomes, and higher dropout rates. In remote areas, students often fall behind simply because their schools cannot power a single light bulb or charge a mobile device.

Solar energy breaks this barrier. By decentralizing electricity production, it ensures that even the most marginalized communities have access to modern education tools. With consistent power, learning becomes interactive, inclusive, and aligned with global standards.

Why Renewable Energy Is Essential to Achieving SDG 4

Sustainable Development Goal 4 cannot be achieved in isolation. It is closely tied to other SDGs—especially those related to poverty, health, gender equality, and clean energy. Without electricity, progress on these goals slows or collapses entirely.

Solar energy directly advances SDG 4 by:

• Powering classrooms, labs, libraries, and teacher housing.
• Supporting SDG 3 by enabling refrigeration, clean water, and proper sanitation in school-linked clinics.
• Helping achieve SDG 5 by reducing the burden of unpaid labor on girls, allowing them more time for school.
• Contributing to SDG 8 by enabling vocational training and digital skill development.
• Supporting climate action (SDG 13) through cleaner, low-carbon education systems.

Investing in solar is therefore not just an energy solution—it is a strategic educational investment.

5 Ways Solar Energy Powers Education 

Two hundred million children attend classrooms that hardly see the illumination of a lamp. Many of these schools are located in rural communities that are not connected to urban resources,. Including the electric grid. Provided access to power from alternatives such as solar, students in these areas benefit in a number of ways: 

• Lighting. When students have access to lighting, they are able to study at night and through inclement weather. This allows them to view instructional materials and stay alert throughout the day. Studies show a connection between well-lit learning environments and improved academic performance.  
• Increased attendance. Energy systems can power clean cooking technologies, water pumps, and sanitation systems—which improves the nutrition, health, and hygiene of children. Girls who are no longer tasked with collecting firewood for cooking gain more time to attend school. And students with access to clean water avoid illnesses that keep them out of the classroom.  
• Teacher retention. Teachers inspire, mentor, guide, and educate students. Sixty percent of teachers in Kenya say that better lighting would encourage them to work in remote regions. The electrification of basic services encourages well-trained educators to teach in remote areas.  
• Digital learning. Digital learning bridges the education gap by encouraging remote students to attend school from home. The internet empowers students to discover news, knowledge, and information beyond the borders of their communities, enabling the next generation of global citizens.  
• Community hubs. Schools provide space for community services, including health clinics, kitchens, childcare facilities, and counseling. And they can act as emergency shelters, providing accommodation, food, and life-saving care. With solar energy, many of these services can be powered. 

Solar-Powered Tools That Transform Learning

Modern education increasingly relies on digital tools, multimedia lessons, and interactive technologies. For off-grid schools, solar energy becomes the backbone of these resources.

Solar enables the use of:

• E-learning devices: Tablets, laptops, and smartboards bring updated learning materials to remote classrooms.
• Solar-powered internet systems: Satellite Wi-Fi and solar routers give students access to global knowledge.
• Digital libraries: Thousands of offline books, videos, and learning apps become accessible without physical infrastructure.
• STEM education kits: Robotics, coding modules, and science equipment can run on solar-charged systems.

These tools not only expand learning but also prepare students for a digital, interconnected future.

The Hidden Cost of Illiteracy 

9 out of 10 children in Africa cannot read or learn numbers at the age of 10. Illiteracy is a global plight that undermines every aspect of life and perpetuates the cycle of poverty. 

If an individual is illiterate, they learn up to 42% less than their literate counterparts. It becomes significantly more difficult for them to find quality employment opportunities. When people are continuously trapped in low-wage or vulnerable work, it hurts the individual and the economic growth of an entire nation.  

Illiteracy costs the world 1.2 trillion dollars every year. When a country has low economic productivity, it discourages investors from pitching new concepts or products, further promoting a cycle of inequality.  

Illiteracy can also bring health-related consequences upon communities. Mothers who cannot read messages and health-related information may unknowingly adopt poor hygiene and nutritional practices at home, affecting themselves and their children. This results in an increased demand for medical services, with missed days at work or in the classroom. Illiteracy can also increase adolescent pregnancy, as individuals are unable to access information surrounding contraceptive methods.  

The best solution to illiteracy is a quality education. If all students in low-income counties could read before leaving school, as many as 171 million people could escape the cycle of poverty for good.  

Looking Forward: Solar Energy and Education 

If global investment remains at the current pace, only one in six countries will achieve universal access to quality education by 2030. When that happens, 300 million students won’t be equipped with the basic literacy and numeracy skills required to succeed in society.  

Tomorrow’s progress hinges on today’s knowledge. By equipping students and teachers with crucial resources, we can create a world where every student can pursue their dreams. That future depends on a reliable, sustainable power source. Solar can reach every last student and power a future free from poverty.