Pursuing Solar Energy Projects for Small Communities
Why should small
communities adopt the use of Solar Energy
Projects to supply their energy requirements?
They should do so because in these days when
oil is threatening to break the $100/barrel
price ceiling, it may make sense for small
communities to explore how they can take advantage
of solar energy for their power supply needs.
It is advantageous for a small community to
pool resources to set up solar energy systems
for their location because a group of people
have more resources than just one individual
so they can spread out costs over more people
so that each person winds up paying his share.
With home solar energy systems being so expensive
(as one author estimated it, you would have
to pay $200,000 for just one home solar energy
system), pooling resources is a good way to
start out on the path to switching to solar
energy in increments. It also gives those
community members who will be manning the
system the chance to learn about solar energy
technology one step at a time. In time, the
little knowledge they have will become a more
comprehensive body of knowledge and everyone
benefits this way.
One of the simplest solar energy systems around
is the solar oven, which allows community
members to learn how to cook with solar energy.
Under the guidance of solar energy instructors,
women can create their own respective solar
ovens so that they can cook with solar energy
in their own homes. Cooking processes take
a huge chunk out of home budgets and breadwinner
incomes, especially if the family is rather
big or if the dish being cooked is rather
complicated. A solar oven would be a prudent
use of solar energy on a small scale.
Government agencies can work closely with
non-profit organizations to provide impoverished
small communities (like rural villages) with
the means to acquire solar energy systems
(which could be both small-scale and large-scale
in application.) The government or the nonprofit
org can train community members in the technology
(in terms of acquisition, installation, and
maintenance) so that the community becomes
self-supporting.
It is possible that the community may be skeptical
at first about how solar energy systems and
solar energy in itself can work for their
benefit. In such a case, the government representatives
and nonprofit org staff can conduct test or
pilot demonstrations of how the solar energy
technology works in real-time conditions.
It is advisable to select user-friendly solar
energy technologies at the start so that community
members can become easily accustomed to using
solar energy. In time, perhaps their confidence
level will go up so that they can adopt more
expansive and more ambitious solar energy
systems for their community. Some small-scale
solar energy systems that could be handed
out are solar-energy-powered flashlights,
solar-energy-powered radios, and portable
solar energy systems. The good part about
establishing solar energy systems in small
communities is that even secluded communities
in very remote locations where conventional
energy supplies cannot reach or are not feasible
can adopt solar energy systems readily with
the proper guidance.
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