Since 2003, Jyoti Painuly from the UNEP Risoe Centre at Risø, DTU has been working at providing sustainable energy for thousands of Indian households using solar home systems financed in an unconventional way. On 11 April, the work was rewarded with the prestigious Energy Globe Award at a TV show in the EU Parlament building in Brussels.
The award is referred to as the Oscar of renewable energy. It is given away in these five categories; Earth, Fire, Water, Air and Youth. The UNEP project participated in the category Fire and won 10,000 Euros and a bronze statuette. Each year, more than 700 entrants compete for the award that goes to projects “which make careful and economical use of resources and employ alternative energy sources”.
The Indian Solar project is supported by the UN Foundation and the Shell Foundation. It is a partnership between UNEP, the UNEP Risoe Centre,and Canara and Syndicate Bank, two of India’s largest banking groups. The project is based on an innovative financing arrangement where households can borrow money for solar home systems with an interest rate reduction. The arrangement supports ordinary people’s access to energy and at the same time invigorates the producers and develops the market for solar home systems.
Since the start of the project, the market of bank financed solar home systems has grown by 50 %, and there are now 20 banks pushing the market with solar finance.
Now more than 100,000 people in 18,000 Indian households have got access to sustainable electricity.
”People are hungry for power, however, a reliable grid is lacking in many parts of India. We offer people the opportunity to do something. When the initiative is with users rather than with institutions, things can move much faster” says Jyoti Painuly.
For more information on the project: http://www.uneptie.org/energy/act/fin/india/
For more information on the award: http://www.energyglobe.info/geg/frontend/view.php
The UNEP Risoe Centre on Energy, Climate and Sustainable Development (URC) at Risø, The Technical University of Denmark (DTU) supports the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in its aim to incorporate environmental aspects into energy planning and policy worldwide, with a special emphasis to assist developing countries. |