Activity Description: Founded in 1996 under the umbrella of the Grameen Bank, NGO Grameen Shakti (GS) focuses on the development, marketing, and delivery of renewable energy resources for poverty alleviation and income generation in the rural villages of Bangladesh. In a region where some 70% of the population is deprived of conventional electricty, access to electric lighting permits the extension of business and trade, children's education, and household activities into the evening hours. GS's Photovoltaics (PV) program uses a soft financing system that provides loans to rural customers covering 75 or 85 percent of the $250 to $500 pricetag on Solar Home Systems, and encourages its customers to apply their PV systems to the generation of additional income by selling excess electric capacity to neighboring homes and businesses. In addition to this primary service, GS conducts research and development into renewable energy systems, and training programs allowing local technicians to provide after sale services to PV buyers. With over 31,000 loans for PV systems made to date, GS recently accepted a grant from the United States Agency for Interational Development to establish technology centers in rural villages with the explicit goal of raising awareness amongst students and empowering women by providing training in renewable energy technology.