Lack of inexpensive, reliable energy delivery is one of the chief obstacles to growth and development in sub-Saharan Africa. Nearly seventy percent of people living in the region lack access to electricity, forcing them to spend significant amounts of their income on costly and unhealthy forms of energy such as diesel fuel to run generators and kerosene for lanterns.
But if there is one thing Africa is not lacking, it is sunshine. And that means a lot; indeed, for some of the world's poorest people, it makes all the difference in the world.
A little more than a year ago, Power Africa-- a U.S. Government initiative coordinated by the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID--and Power Africa's partners, the United Kingdom Department for International Development, Shell Foundation, and the African Development Bank, launched the Scaling Off-Grid Energy Grand Challenge for Development, with a focus on pay-as-you-go solar home systems. The Challenge's goal is to provide 20 million off-grid households in sub-Saharan Africa with clean, affordable electricity by 2030. So far, the Challenge has made 40-plus investments in early-stage, off-grid energy companies, which are expected to result in some 4.8 million new electrical connections.
One reason for the success of the start-up companies that have won grants from the Challenge is the fact that the cost of solar technology is falling fast, so it is within the means of those who live away from traditional power grids. And thanks to the new system of mobile money and pay-as-you-go financing, they can purchase the solar power-generating equipment they need and pay for it in daily installments from their telephones, for as little as 15 cents a day.
Thanks to these technological and financial innovations, many people are getting electricity for the first time, every day. In these newly-electrified communities, businesses can flourish, clinics can safely store vaccines, and students may study long after dark. Indeed, access to clean and reliable electricity can enable entire communities to escape the cycle of extreme poverty.
The Scaling Off-Grid Energy Grand Challenge for Development partnership, solar technology, and companies that bring light and electricity to off-the-grid homes and businesses, are revolutionizing daily life for millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa.
但要说非洲不缺什么，那就是太阳能。“不缺”是指很多。实际上，对于世界上最贫困的一些人来说，非洲的太阳能对他们的生活意义非凡。
一年多以前，电力非洲项目——由美国国际开发署(USAI)与电力非洲合作伙伴配合美国政府实施。合作伙伴包括英国国际发展署、壳牌基金、非洲发展银行。他们共同推出了离网能源计划，该计划专注于即付即用的家庭系统。该计划的目标是在2030年之前为撒哈拉以南非洲的2000万离网家庭提供清洁、便宜的电力。目前为止，该计划已经为处于发展初期的多家离网能源公司进行了40多次投资，预计为它们建立480万个新的电力连接。
这些创业公司成功赢得改计划资助的一个原因是：太阳能技术的成本下降得很快，所以即便离传统电网很远，也能获得太阳能技术。还有一个原因是移动支付和即付即用的新财务体系，该体系让用户可以自己需要的太阳能发电设备，并通过家里的电话进行付款，价格低至美日15美分。
有了这些科技和财务创新，很多人第一次得以享受每天有电可用的感觉。在这些刚刚接入电力的社群里，商业得以繁荣，诊所可以安全地储存疫苗，学生们天黑之后也可以学很久。实际上，获得清洁可靠的电力之后，所有社群终于可以摆脱极度贫困所扰。
离网能源计划、太阳能技术、为离网家庭和企业带来光和电的公司正在革新撒哈拉以南非洲的无数人民的生活。
邹某人m哦耶
！
邹某人m哦耶
！