| Many developing countries have poor areas without | | | | power system should be connected to the electricity |
| electricity. The proportion is twice in rural areas than in | | | | grid with the help of a device called an inverter. The |
| urban areas. For these people, even a small amount of | | | | system also needs batteries to store surplus energy. In |
| electricity could lead to life-saving improvements in all | | | | addition, an electronic charge controller to prevent the |
| aspects of their lives. They need a new and clean | | | | batteries from overcharging is necessary. All of these |
| method to solute the electricity problem. | | | | components are pricey. |
| And solar power could be one such solution. People | | | | So the cost of producing and installation of solar |
| can use solar power to light their garden lights, street | | | | power system is a main problem for these poor |
| lights and heat their water for almost free | | | | countries. In the case of poverty countries, now they |
| maintenance after installation. Among those solar | | | | have to develop the solar power systems through |
| products, solar street lights may cause their particular | | | | international aids. A wide range of aid models are in |
| concern for the program can be sponsored by the | | | | operation now. Organizations and some funders like |
| government and then be good for many people. The | | | | the World Bank and the International Finance |
| advantages in these areas are they almost have | | | | Corporation sponsor solar PV projects in Africa, Asia |
| enormous solar potential. For example, most of Africa | | | | and Latin America. Those donating projects are mainly |
| has 325 days of strong sunlight a year and it can | | | | dedicated to improve health, education and livelihoods. |
| generate more than 6 kilowatt hour energy per square | | | | However, with the development of technologies |
| meter per day. Desertec Project for sub-Saharan | | | | improvement, more and more financial investments |
| areas is operated by the Desertec Foundation, a joint | | | | swarm into solar field. During the past five years, total |
| German and Jordanian company. | | | | investment in solar was US$33.5 billion in 2008, |
| When it comes to the technology, there are two ways | | | | increase 172% compared the data in 2004. A German |
| to using solar energy: solar-thermal way to collect the | | | | engineer estimates that the cost of supplying off-grid |
| Sun's heat and photovoltaic way to convert the Sun's | | | | solar electricity would drop from US$35,000 to just |
| light into electricity. The former uses a combination of | | | | US$8,300 if the new technologies are applied. |
| lenses or mirrors to focus a large area of sunlight into | | | | Except economical facts, there are other hurdles for |
| a small beam and can generate enough heat. The | | | | the wide application of solar power for the poor areas. |
| latter uses solar cells to transfer the Sun's light into | | | | The policy environment favors fossil fuels, is one of |
| electricity, which is applied from a solar-powered torch | | | | those difficulties, though every government is declaring |
| to a large solar power station. | | | | to reduce global emissions. Other problems include |
| There are two ways to access solar power: | | | | improving local ownership of solar technologies and |
| purchasing in the open market and accepting | | | | weaving off-grid solar systems into policies, etc... |
| international aid. Compute the cost for a simple solar | | | | In a word,besides solar street lights application, solar |
| photovoltaic system. More than 90% of photovoltaic | | | | power application in poverty countries is a promising |
| systems are based on silicon materials. And the solar | | | | projects and need every man does his duty. |