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Vision of Pico Sol

Electricity from sunlight is clean and renewable energy. Our vision is that the introduction of solar power will contribute to the sustainable development of rural areas, where an electricity connection is still beyond the horisun. Our aim is to connect to the sun in an affordable way. For this reason we support small scale solar projects with our know-how and money. Important condition for our projects is that there is a local supporting basis, to ensure a sustainable effect. In the long run, we want to achieve that the solar power sector will develop itself in a self-sufficient way. Our dream is that solar power will be used as a logical and credible energy source at a large scale.

Local ownership

SOlar pump Papua

Local ownership is the keyword for our project approach. Pico Sol will not give presents, but we want to decrease the investment barrier to enable the realisation of projects. Local initiatives, local interests, a local supporting basis and partial local financing are central themes in our projects.

Local initiative: Pico Sol participates preferably in initiatives that are already taken. In many cases, it appears that these plans need to be adjusted due to lack of knowledge of the opportunities or over estimation of the possibilties.

Local interests: Our project aim to satisfy a local interest:

  • projects contribute to a social interest, for instance lighting to enable evening schools, or cooling to enable the storage of vaccins.
  • We preferably make use of the local solar power infrastructure. Except installation, the systems need to be maintained and serviced. To involve local capacity is good for the local economy and will improve the sustainability of our projects.

Local participation: The partner is able and willing to participate with human power and money. Pico Sol contributes partly to the material costs. Our expectation is that a local willingness to pay for the rest implies a local supporting basis to keep the system operationally. This is for instance necessary to be able to replace the batteries after some years.

Communal Labour

From demonstration to capacity building

Pico Sol focuses to projects with a communal interest. In this way, the local population will become acquainted with the advantages of solar power, and everybody will profit from it. Our expectation is that in a latter phase people will consider solar power as a solution for their power demand.

Capacity building

To enable the solar power sector to develop, it can not stay with small strategical strikes. A credible solar power sector will only arise if capacity will be built. Pico Sol also wants to contribute to this. In Cambodia for instance, we supported the establishment of a solar company. We also established a local Pico Sol organisation that organises vocational solar trainings.

In this way, our small scale projects will multiply. Projects will be scaled up. The sector will develop.