Sustainable Business Models for MFIs to Deliver Renewable Energy

The Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation's (NWTF) success story on achieving scale and sustainability for their solar program focuses on two aspects: demand generation through marketing and education by dedicated program officers, and product support (technical support, inventory management, returns, distribution) through partners and suppliers. NWTF’s dedicated team of solar officers orient MFI clients on the benefits of using solar, provide basic troubleshooting when needed, and contribute to portfolio growth by adding more loans.

Supawan Saelim

Dr. Supawan Saelim is currently a Renewable Energy Policy Specialist for USAID Clean Power Asia program, which encourages power sector investments in environmentally-friendly, grid-connected renewable energy sources. Dr. Saelim has focused primarily on activities to provide technical assistance to Lao PDR, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines related to renewable energy auctions and the impact of distributed PV policies on key stakeholders.

Greener Pastures from the Sun: Solar Photovoltaic-Driven Irrigation in Qinghai Province

Valuable pasture lands in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) are being degraded through overgrazing, conversion, and reduced levels of precipitation as a result of climate change. Qinghai Province is tackling this problem through the innovative use of solar photovoltaic (PV) power for irrigation; a solution that has enormous capacity for upscaling within PRC and throughout Asia.