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The
Millenium Development Goals: Electricity is Important
The
MDGs and some of the roles for PV are:
1.
Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger - Quality lighting
allows increased income generation and reliable electricity
encourages enterprise development; energy for water supplies
for cooking and drinking and water for irrigation increases
food production.
2.
Achieve universal primary education - Electricity enables
access to educational media and communications, electricity
helps create a more child-friendly environment and reduces
school drop-out rates and lighting in schools allows evening
classes and helps retain teachers.
3. Promote gender equality and empower women - Availability
of modern energy means women do not have to carry out survival
activities; good quality lighting permits home study and reliable
energy services offer scope for women's enterprises to develop.
4.
Reduce child mortality - Electricity reduces indoor air
pollution, increases safety, frees up more time to be spent
on child care and facilitates pumped water and purification.
5.
Improve maternal health - Energy services provide access
to better medical facilities (vaccine refrigeration, equipment
sterilisation, operating theatres); Cooked food contributes
to better health.
6.
Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases - Energy services
provide better medical facilities, and energy can help produce
and distribute sex education literature and contraceptives.
7.
Ensure environmental sustainability - Traditional fuel
use contributes to erosion, reduced soil fertility and desertification,
electricity can be used to pump and purify contaminated water.
8.
Develop a global partnership for development - Electricity
supply can contribute to the development of information and
communication technologies in remote rural areas.
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PV
mini-grids, such as this one in Xinjiang, China, provide power
for entire communities and villages