Micro-Financing and Locally Led Development: A Scalable Model for Resilient Power in Rural Communities

Resilient power systems – solar PV paired with battery storage (solar+storage) – in rural, low-income communities can provide essential backup power to emergency response and public health efforts in the event of a power outage. Despite the unique vulnerabilities rural communities face, there remains limited adoption of solar+storage to provide reliable backup power, in addition to the economic benefits provided through solar+storage that organizations serving these communities would significantly benefit from.

This Clean Energy Group webinar featured the Solar Village Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing solar+storage to schools, clinics and homes in rural India and Puerto Rico, helping with health, education, and home life as well as climate change. The Solar Village Project team spoke to their experience developing projects in rural communities, including the donation and micro-finance model they’ve developed and how they’re building a workforce development program. They also spoke to lessons learned and opportunities for expansion to more communities in the United States.

Panelists:

• Ruth McElroy Amundsen, Treasurer, Solar Village Project
• Joe Kselman, Board chair, Solar Village Project
• David Ortiz, Puerto Rico Program Director, Solar United Neighbors
• Anna Adamsson, Project Manager, Clean Energy Group (moderator)

This webinar is part of Clean Energy Group’s “Celebrating 10 Years of Technical Assistance” series. Since 2014, CEG’s Technical Assistance Fund (TAF) has awarded over $1.5 million to 175 community organizations, affordable housing providers, critical service providers, municipalities, and Native Nations in support of their efforts to build local resilient power resources. Over the next year, CEG will be celebrating this milestone through publications that highlight various aspects of resilient power development.