Solar-energy an American India (SAI) partnership: The Ramakrishna Mission PV Project

This paper describes a cooperative program which was established in 1993 by the Minister of the Indian Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources (MNES) and the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE). Eventually it fielded one project, funded 50-50 for a total of 500k dollars. The project selected was a sustainable rural economic development initiative with Ramakrishna Mission in West Bengal, India, as the nongovernment organization (NGO). The objectives of the program were to establish the economic viability of photovoltaic power in the Sundarbans region of West Bengal. To have the project self-sustaining with minimal subsidies to the beneficiaries. To establish the infrastructure for financing, training, installation and maintenance with the NGO taking the lead. To work with the NGO to expand utilization of photovoltaics in the region. To perform a before and after social, economic, and environmental impact study with the Tata Energy Research Institute.