India represents perhaps the largest solar market in the world, with a population of roughly 900 million, of which 40% have no electricity. The hypothesis tested in this study was that in rural India in a market not subsidized by the government, a solar service company with available loans from local banks and cooperatives and with sales, installation, and maintenance personnel in the villages can be successful in introducing photovoltaic systems to provide basic amenities such as lighting and water pumping to the improvement of the quality of life, public health, and the environment. SELCO is a solar energy service company operating in Southern India since 1995 and has installed over 7500 solar home lighting systems to date. The initial success of SELCO lends considerable evidence to the acceptance of the hypothesis. This successful SELCO project serves as a model for other similar places in the world.
展开▼
