How A Billion People Can Get Solar Panels - from The Atlantic - Betsy Teutsch

How to Make Solar Panels Affordable—for Billions

Like the installment plans of the Great Depression, Simpa Networks' "Progressive Purchase" agreements are enabling customers in rural India to get solar power for their homes.

BETSY TEUTSCH

Photo - Courtesy of Azuri-Tech

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Comment by Salvatore Chester on May 9, 2014 at 2:47am

Dear Betsy,

I appreciate your efforts to help reaching such a scale. With no intention to downplay your viable system (as your customers like it) I would like you to consider also the following post :

Solar Making Big Strides to Power the Developing World  

a href="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2014/05/solar-making-big-strides-to-power-the-developing-world#comment-131419>" target="_blank">http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2014/05/solar-...;.

In particular, a market penetration comparison between cell phones and pico solar lanterns was rightly made by Donn Tice , CEO of D.light design. Indeed the numbers are really telling the reality. In Africa, out of 1 billion people, about 700 million use mobile phones of different value. Mostly paid cash. 

My comment here reads: " Right, the same will happen with pico solar lanterns, as actual demand is simply there.

Most BOP customers are ready to buy cash - as they bought cell phones of their choice - if real quality products (with long lasting batteries) are available to them. The challenge is on suppliers (most do not even know how and were to get access to finance for themselves) more than distributors and retailers (who are not there to advance finance to suppliers).

As a matter of fact, few big, adequately funded and competent multinational corporations made the difference in the meaningful dissemination of cell phones for BOP market."

https://www.facebook.com/groups/TEA.ethiopia/ 

Best regards,

 

Comment by Pamela O'Brien on May 8, 2014 at 6:53am

Betsy, love your point of view! Great work you are doing. We may need to connect soon. I am looking to partner with such a service and see how it would work with our platform!

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