Several developed countries have set deadlines for going 100% renewable, or even Carbon Neutral. Desperately poor Burkina Faso is not only aiming to go 100% renewable, but to get electricity to the whole population, currently at 20% availability. I will be delighted to be able to bring you more such stories, including how you can help a number of countries.
The problem is being attacked both bottom-up and top-down.
UN-backed fund to support solar businesses in Burkina Faso
A fund backed by the United Nations and the government of Luxembourg is helping companies to provide small solar PV systems and innovative cooking stoves in the economically challenged West African nation.
The Fond des Energies Renouvelables pour la Résilience du Burkina Faso (FERR-BF) has offered to provide technical and financial assistance to companies that are interested in supplying small-scale PV systems and innovative cooking stoves in Burkina Faso. It did not provide technical specifications for the solar PV products.
The fund, which is managed by the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and financed by the Luxembourg government, will provide $50,000 to $200,000 to companies that submit winning project bids. The FERR-BF said that preference will be given to companies offering consumer finance or proposing pay-as-you-go (PAYG) systems and other innovative digital payment platforms.
Burkina Faso is heavily dependent on fossil fuels but is determined to achieve universal access to electricity by 2025, from a current electrification rate of approximately 20%, according to International Finance Corp.