They did not know if such systems would be appropriate for the villages in their region or how they could bring PV electricity to their residents. Sales are brisk at the shop, which sells as many as 11 domestic lighting systems to the rural villagers each day. The systems are manufactured in India and the United States. DOE has helped the Mission to identify private-sector partners for expanding and financing the project. The deposits and interest on the low-interest loans form a revolving capital fund for the project.
Most homeowners pay off their loans within one year, using profits from their crop harvest.
The systems have made a very real impact on the lives of village residents by bringing electric light into their homes. Having established their proficiency in selling and maintaining domestic lighting systems, the Ramakrishna Mission staff was recently asked to install a complete PV electrification system for the Forestry Department s new Tiger Reserve guest house on Sajnekhali Island in the Sundarbans. The Mission s success has led to plans to establish six more solar shops in West Bengal, the installation of more than 2000 additional domestic lighting systems, and seven community-scale systems in the region. With a population in excess of 900 million, India is projected to need an additional 31,000 megawatts of generating capacity by the turn of the century. DOE s work in India on projects such as this will help the country realize its solar energy potential and increase its standard of living, while reducing the increase in greenhouse gas emissions that will accompany its rapid economic growth.