Point & Case: Solar Power Changes Lives in Brazil

Case Study

In Brazil, there is a man who is known as the ‘electric gaucho’, his name is Fabio Rosa (see link to video below).  He noticed that many rural families, especially young adults, were abandoning their past and cultural traditions, by moving to the city, in search of a better future. The cause of this migration was because the rural lifestyle lacked basic amenities such as electricity. This was the case because the utility company was charging rural farmers $7,000 in order to hook up to the grid, an amount which is equivalent to three years income. Rosa’s belief is that “electricity represents hope in the future”, and his goal was to bring cheap electricity to rural Brazil. As an agronomist, he calculated that he could supply power to these farmers using a single wire installation for about $400.  Once they had electricity, they could pump water, which would allow them to grow more profitable crops such as rice. He did so without the help of government, corporations, or utilities. So far, Rosa has supplied one million rural homes with electricity using his single wire method, which in turn increased the profits of farmers. This kept families and traditions in the countryside, and brought young adults back home from the city.?