Shining a Light on Snake Bites

A community solar project in a rural Michigan town is making energy more affordable for low-to-moderate-income households. Fifty community members and organizations subscribed to receive energy from and support the construction of a solar array. As a result, their electricity bills are about $300 cheaper each year, and the local utility reported fewer late payments.

A solar-powered microgrid project brought electricity to Lajolo, Nigeria, which was previously without power.

Thanks to a government-funded electrification project, Modhera is the first solar-powered village in India, and as a result, nearly all of the residents pay nothing for electricity. Instead, they earn money from selling unused power back to the grid.

PowerHive’s solar microgrid project provides electricity to those living in remote areas where power isn’t easily accessible. Since starting five years ago, the project has benefitted 1,500 households and has also led to a decrease in violence as nighttime robberies and attacks are less common when houses in the community are lit.

The installation of solar panels in communities in the Philippines without electricity allows Pala’wan indigenous women to weave more baskets at night and increase their household income.

Solar-powered spinning wheels allow rural women to boost their work opportunities and incomes in an environmentally-friendly manner. About 4,000 women in various villages have been trained to spin using renewable energy, a practice that benefits both the community and the individual worker.

After insurgents cut off the village of Maiduguri from the power grid, residents started switching to solar energy as a way to power their appliances. For many, using the solar kits have reduced their energy expenses, but, at the same time, they also require more battery maintenance and the upfront cost can be expensive. “It has reduced daily expenses in terms of fueling generators and monthly servicing,” says one resident. “All these things are off my neck.”

Solar-powered irrigation systems are helping Nigerian smallholder farmers reduce fuel costs by over 60%, extend their growing seasons, and increase crop yields, while also improving local air quality and reducing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.

The Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) has built over 204 wildlife crossings, fencing systems, and protected corridors across a 3,400-kilometer stretch of the Rocky Mountains. Since Y2Y's founding in 1997, reports of wildlife-vehicle collisions have substantially reduced, thousands of safe animal crossings have been documented, and 9.8 million hectares of connected habitat has been protected.

KRAPAVIS has restored 249 sacred groves in Rajasthan through a community-led model where villages share restoration costs and appoint local custodians. They've successfully reviving water sources, wells, and biodiversity while securing a 2024 Supreme Court ruling that protects these community-conserved ecosystems across India.