Eric Walker <eric.wal...@gmail.com> wrote:
> And, if your earlier point turns out to be true, there will be a > disproportionate impact on lower income people who are unable to afford the > cost of switching to such distributed power systems. > Yes. That often happens with technology as it becomes obsolete. Poor people are the last to switch to the new technology and they end up paying a lot of money because they cannot afford the transition. Here is a heartbreaking example: Many poor people in the Third World still use kerosene lighting. Solar cell charged battery-powered LED lights are now available. These cost far less to operate, they produce more light, and they are much safer, but the initial purchase price is high compared to buying a kerosene lamp, so people who are extremely poor cannot afford the transition. See: http://www.lightsforlife.org/lighting_poverty_problem http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/10/tech/innovation/solar-powered-led-lamps/ - Jed
