The Village Solar Project (VSP) uses solar power to provide opportunities for people living on remote islands to have electricity in their homes.
HERE’S HOW IT WORKS
EPI donates 1 solar panel, 20 amp charge controller, led light bulb and installation to each participant’s home.
The battery is given to the families on loan that the family pays back over 2 years. Families also have the option to buy extra lights, radios, ceiling fans, and TVs that are efficient and DC power compatible through EPI.
Villagers pay 25 GHS per month to repay the loan from their battery. Villagers can withdraw from the program and receive a full refund up to 1 year after the installation. Money recouped from the 2 year loan will be re-invested into other Village Solar Project homes and used to maintain current homes. This project has been incredibly sucessful so far and we have many families asking to join the program on the current island and surrounding islands as well.
LET’S CLARIFY: HOW THIS HELPS
This cost efficient alternative to kerosene and other fuels brings light to a village in a way that was otherwise not possible. Not only does this help the villagers in general, it may also assist in the retaining of school teachers in the village. Teachers have been shown to be reluctant to stay in these off-the-grid villages where electricity is not at least as reliable as it is in more urban areas to which they have become accustomed. The light enables families to complete unfinished work like mending fishing nets, sewing an order, and cooking dinner. They are also able to charge cellphones and stay connected to their country news via radios and TVs.