Off-grid electricity for developing countries - IEE Review

y most recent estimates, about two billion of the world’s population B have no access to modern forms of energy, such as electricity or fossil fuelsl. The majority of these people depend on burning biomass wood, dung or waste from agriculture for cooking, heating and lighting, and on human or animal power for tasks such as grindmg and transport. Biofuels and human power trap people into poverty The time spent on collecting wood or hand grinding corn takes away time that could otherwise be used for income-generating activities. In addition, lack of suitable lighting will limit time available for children to study after school, so huting educational development. Such traditional sources of energy also have implications for health. Cooking indoors on an open he, as women do in poor households of developing countries, can cause serious respiratory and eye problems for the women, and the young children who stay near them2. Because of the modern image of electricity its convenience and it cleanness, it is not surprising that rural electnfication is a highly political issue in most developing countries. It is an issue which can win or lose an election. However, in the l h r d World the levels of electrification are still very low. Very few sub-Saharan African countries have more than 20% rural electrification, with a number of countries having less than 10%. Even in countries such as India, which claims that over 80% of villages are electrified, less than a third of the rural households can afford to take a gnd connection.