From Robert Muirhead
George Wadsworth makes very valid points about the need to use all alternatives to generate electricity for the world’s poorest people (23 August, p 28).
These alternatives need to be maintainable by those communities or they will eventually fall into disrepair and discredit future efforts.
Remote villages may have no skilled technicians able to repair solar systems, and villagers may be unable or unwilling to pay for a technician to travel from a large city. Even if there is someone to do repairs, what about the cost and availability of spare parts?
Local government structures may not exist to organise maintenance, and remote officials may have little interest in serving distant communities.
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Power systems for poor communities outside major towns need to be maintainable with the financial and technical resources available to those communities for the lifetime of the equipment.
Melbourne, Australia
