More than one billion people still have no reliable access to electricity, particularly in rural areas in developing countries. The cost for photovoltaic (PV) technology has been dropping continuously in the past years, making solar electricity an even more viable solution for these regions. Reliable PV systems for community electrification that are well adapted and scalable are required.
The Canopus Foundation, in cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, has been managing the 2nd “Solar for All” Contest for Community Solar Electrification Solutions 2016 during the last year. The purpose of this contest is to identify outstanding technical concepts to provide electricity for communities in the developing world. The finalists have now been selected.
“In the second round of the “Solar for All” Contest, we focused on PV electrification solutions that benefit communities. Solar energy represents the most economic option for this application, due to the enormous price reduction for PV systems over the last years,” says Prof. Dr. Eicke R. Weber, Director of Fraunhofer ISE and Jury Chairman.
