About Us
Global Solar Access is a non profit organization with Federal 501(c)(3) status pending. We rely on donations from people like you to provide our services to the developing world.
Two billion people in the world live without access to electricity. For most of them, solar photovoltaics would be their cheapest electricity source but they cannot afford it. Instead, they use kerosene lamps for their lighting needs at night. These lamps are very dirty and dangerous. They emit toxic fumes into the household and have been known to explode and cause deadly fires. By empowering communities to build their own solar panels and incorporate low cost LED lighting, Global Solar Access helps to reduce the cost of the solar systems and make it more affordable for the villagers – all the while creating jobs. With micro loans, the villagers can then pay the bank a small monthly payment until they own their solar system outright with little to no ongoing maintenance costs. In many cases their monthly loan payment is equivalent to what they were originally paying for the kerosene to refill their lamps.
Global Solar Access travels the globe teaching local organizations how to be self sufficient by building their own solar panels for electricity. The methods are taught during a 1-2 week workshop that takes place within their communities. Using GSA’s distribution network, the organizations then get access to the solar materials needed to build the customizable panels below retail cost to allow them to remain competitive in the local solar market.