Solar could provide a billion people with power

More than a billion people in the developing world live without electricity. We live in a nation of smart homes, Bluetooth, and remote-controlled devices, so it’s difficult to imagine a world without easy access to electricity. Because the cost of solar panels has dropped, solar technology is becoming more available throughout the world.

Much of the world still lacks reliable electric power

Despite lowering costs for solar, full global penetration for solar is not comprehensive. At the current pace of electrical grid projections, it is estimated 700 million people would still lack electricity by 2030, which is the U.N.’s current target year for universal energy access. The majority of these people live in Africa, where rapid population growth and slow grid extension has halted efforts to expand electricity access. Experts predict that about as many Africans will lack access in 2030 as they did in 2005.

“In many places in Africa, the number of people reached by the grid is just so low,” Itamar Orlandi, one of the lead researchers on the report and Bloomberg’s Head of Frontier Power, told The Daily Beast.
“With solar, you can go into a store, it comes in a box, you can buy it, you can take it home.  it’s very simple, actually.”
— Itamar Orlandi, Head of Frontier Power at Bloomberg

Due to remarkable advancements in at-home solar technology and home appliance efficiency, the electrical grid is no longer the only option for families looking to power their homes. It’s especially true in places like Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, where mobile phone usage is high and grid strength is low. In those four countries alone, one in ten residents is now using at-home solar systems. The logic behind switching from the traditional grid to an at-home solar system is both practical and financial. For many rural families, Orlandi said, it’s logistically near-impossible to connect to the grid.

Now has never been a better time to install a solar energy system!

If you want to move into the future and join the solar revolution, or if you want to find out what solar panels are right for you, go to HahaSmart.com and try our price checker tool. You can see how much a system will cost, and how much you can save over the next 20 years. 

For more information relating to going solar, don't forget to visit our solar blog section for more handy guides and articles.