Smart solutions

A sufficient and efficient supply of energy is often key to combating poverty in many developing countries. Some 2.5 billion people worldwide have problems lighting up their homes, cooking a warm meal or heating water, according to a study titled "Energy is Life" by Germany's GTZ, a state-owned organization working for sustainable development worldwide.

Stefan Opitz, who wrote the study, said that many people lacked access to simple technology and information about cheap solutions that would improve their quality of life. That in turn hugely hinders economic development, particularly in rural regions, he said.

Power cuts cripple productivity

Bangladesh, which lies directly to the east of India, is one of the countries hit particularly hard by the vicious cycle of energy inefficiency and poverty.

Only a fourth of Bangladesh's population lives in cities and the country has a high illiteracy rate - particularly among women. The country's economy has been growing at a steady clip, but is largely based on agriculture. Bangladesh harvests about 40 million tons of rice a year, making it the world's fourth-largest rice producer.

According to the GTZ, Bangladesh's biggest challenge is its chronic lack of electricity. The country's 150 million inhabitants regularly see their homes, shops and companies plunged into darkness.

Rural Bangladesh suffers the most from power cuts and many households and small businesses have little chance of being connected to the electricity grid. Even where there is an electricity connection, productivity often suffers on account of the daily power cuts, according to the GTZ. 

The organization estimates that a significant share of the energy is often lost through inefficient appliances or the decrepit electricity grid. It's a problem faced by many developing nations.

One way to ease Bangladesh's power problems is with so-called SHS or 'Solar Home Systems.' Homes and small firms that aren't connected to the grid can buy such solar plants for about $300 (225 euros).

These photovoltaic systems provide electricity for lamps and small electrical appliances such as radios, television sets and chargers for mobile phones.

Mini power plants for better political awareness

"Television is a very important argument for the users of such solar home systems," Michael Blunck of the GTZ said.

It's an argument that raises skepticism in Germany, Blunck said. "But you have to understand that there's a high illiteracy rate in these villages. Many people hardly have any opportunities to inform themselves independently. They can't read a newspaper. Even listening to the radio isn't possible without electricity."

The SHS enables people to inform themselves via the television or radio. "That's hugely important for people to develop their own political opinions," Blunck said.

More electricity, more productivity

A survey of SHS users by the GTZ confirms the view. Almost half of those polled said that better access to news and information had significantly changed their lives. Many said a reliable electricity supply also meant more light in the evening - so their children had the chance to read and to learn.

Blunck said that even traders in the bazaars, who had no electricity until recently, were using the SHS. Many of them previously used kerosene lamps to illuminate their wares in the evenings. The lamps however had a huge downside - kerosene is a fossil-based fuel that's relatively expensive. And it's also hugely polluting.

The GTZ hopes that the use of SHS will help lift the economy and thus lead the way to a more lasting boom in regions around the world which suffer from a chronic lack of energy.

Author: Martin Schrader (sp)
Editor: Mark Mattox