Copy this CollectionInstalling rooftop solar has become an effective climate change mitigation strategy as well as a poverty reduction tool. Project Drawdown research shows that a global shift toward installing rooftop solar is the tenth most effective climate change strategy. As they note, "In grid-connected areas, rooftop panels can put electricity production in the hands of households. In rural parts of low-income countries, they can leapfrog the need for large-scale, centralized power grids, and accelerate access to affordable, clean electricity—becoming a powerful tool for eliminating poverty." As the cost of panels fall, rooftop solar is becoming a viable option for millions. According to a study by the Center for Behavior and the Environment, installing rooftop solar is among the seven most impactful actions that individuals and households in the United States can take to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
The stories in this collection (see below) show how solar panels are a reliable, affordable, and clean way to skip fossil fuels altogether. Start-up companies are bringing solar panels to rural areas in Bangladesh and Africa, bringing energy for the first time and requiring no energy grid. Solar panels are likewise a key source of energy in the development of an innovative new Florida city planned to run completely on renewable energy. Even in grid-connected cities, solar panels can facilitate the transition from fossil-fuels to clean energy. Rooftop solar has been an integral part of Germany's becoming a world leader in renewable energy. By putting the power of energy into the hands of the people, rooftop solar panels are sure to lead the clean energy revolution. This solution is one of the Drawdown Ecochallenge actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
