Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Getting it right with photovoltaics

Few people and organisations appreciate the the best way forward in a power-deprived region is to give people the power to charge batteries via low-cost-low-power SPV panels - and next - to help make simple battery-powered flashlights and such battery-powered equipment locally. Invariably, political expediency and other factors put pressure on building large centralised power systems in these regions and run into conflicts of all kinds and at a huge cost.

In this light, it is heartening to see quite a few initiatives in Africa getting it right. The BioDesign Newsletter of 14th September 2010 informs us about the Noar Foundation http://noar.g3web.net doing exemplary work in distant Togo.

Mr Graham Knight of Biodesign UK http://biodesign.webeden.co.uk has encouraged several such initiatives by training and providing small quantities of single-digit wattage solar panels to enthisiasts and NGOs alike. In fact he is a major inspiration to The microPower Initiative.

No comments: