Using renewable energy for rural connectivity and distance education in Latin America

Throughout Latin America, rural connectivity is a topic of increasing interest. Country governments, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector are all teaming to bring a variety of innovative programs to rural areas that provide services such as telephony, distance education, and access to the Internet. Photovoltaic (PV) technologies are helping to bring these services to the more isolated communities located beyond the electric grid. Sandia National Laboratories and its partners are facilitating the increased use of PV for these new and growing applications through capacity building and technology development, with emphasis on Mexico and Central America. The work described herein is sponsored by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the US Department of Energy (USDOE).