Solar technology that will shape the future
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Meet the men and women bringing solar power to the people – and fighting to transform our global energy supply. Subscribe NOW to The Economist: http://econ.st/1Fsu2Vj Haiti - the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere ravaged by an earthquake in 2010 - most in this Caribbean outpost are living in darkness. Globally, 20% of people don't have access to electricity. In Haiti it's 75%. Impoverished and without alternatives, Haiti's become a testing ground for a DIY power system that could help bring electricity to the 1.3 billion people worldwide who currently have none. It's one of many tentative steps toward a future where solar energy will play an ever larger role in powering the planet. This is the story of the Solar pioneers and the technology they hope will shape the future. Single mum Madeline has never had access to electricity. Today that's going to change. Until now she's used kerosene to feed lamps, spending $10 a month but her homes about to be hooked up to a groundbreaking energy system that will light her home for just $1.50 a month. The country's limited national grid hadn't made it to the town of Leis Anglais - but this town's generating its own electricity in a groundbreaking power system that could provide a template for towns all across the developing world. This system provides enough energy for this community's current needs - from lighting people's homes to powering the town's mill. It's a model that could be the first step on the energy ladder for many others in the developing world. Global electricity demand is projected to grow by almost eighty percent over the next 25 years with developing countries accounting for the bulk of the increase. Past increases in energy supply have relied largely on fossil fuels, which in many situations still provide the cheapest options, but they come with an obvious environmental cost. The desire to travel is just one example of the contradiction between the energy demands of…
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