It has been revealed that the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has allowed access to solar electricity systems for over 100,000 people in rural locations of India.

Sine the set up back in 2003, the UN environment programme has encouraged the issue of loans from Indian bankers to provide rural homeowners with solar power systems.

The solar power systems are designed to provide electricity for up to four small appliances, and cost upwards of $300.

The solar loans have enabled the replacement of kerosene lamps in some rural homes, and are reducing household pollution along with the expensive running costs for kerosene lamps.

With an estimated 100 million families in India using kerosene lamps, and each lamp producing over 200kg of carbon dioxide each year, the decrease in usage of such lamps is a great achievement.

Prior to the introduction of the UNEP, many rural homeowners in India could not afford the purchase of renewable energy systems.

Jyoti Painuly, a UN senior energy planner stated "this project removes one of the main barriers to the shift to solar power - lack of financing".

The UN has announced additional future loan schemes for other countries in the future. This will make more renewable energy technologies (such as solar panels) available to a much wider audience across our world.

Programs like the "solar loans for rural homes" will reduce the financial burden on the installation of basic renewable energy systems for less economically developed areas of our world.

More solar energy schemes are in the pipeline for India, many of which as a direct result of India's government. A new pilot project in the Uttar Pradesh state hopes to see solar panels providing power to run computers in village schools.

It is important we see more renewable energy programs for underpriviliged areas of our globe in a bid to reduce carbon emissions.

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