Seventy percent of people in the developing world still have no access to electricity in their homes, health clinics, or schools, and are completely isolated from the modern world's wealth of resources. Kerosene lamps, candles, and dry cell batteries are used for home lighting and radios. Health clinics have no means to power refrigerators necessary for vaccine and other drug preservation, and health care workers have limited access to modern medical knowledge and research. Children in village schools spend hours hand-copying notes off of chalk boards because their schools have no photocopiers; and without computers, these kids are trapped in the digital divide of information haves and have-nots. .
This paper seeks to explore the potential success of renewable energy electrification in the developing world. It begins by describing the current energy needs in rural areas of the world, and the consequences of continued increases in fossil fuel consumption that may occur if renewable energies are not used. The second part of the paper briefly explains the processes, the advantages, and the disadvantages of three available forms of energy: hydro, solar, and wind power. Finally, in the conclusion, it makes a proposal to help resolve some of the problems .
presented at the beginning of the paper. .
Electricity Demand and the Developing World A Growing Necessity .
Hundreds of millions of people live in remote areas of the world where local governments cannot provide electricity. "On islands, in mountains, or separated by miles of undeveloped land, these communities cannot access the electricity they need for water purification, irrigation, health services, education, food preservation and other public utilities" (Danish Wind Energy Association, 2002). The problem is rooted in both the location and population of these communities because governments cannot afford to build power lines to connect smaller, distant populations to the public electricity grid.