The Millenium Development Goals: Electricity is Important

PV mini-grids, such as this
one in Xinjiang, China,
provide power for entire
communities and villages

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.