Achievements
  1. Prominent growth in number of solar PV companies. Before ESAP there was only 3 registered solar PV companies, however at present there are around 70 registered solar PV companies. Out of which 26 solar PV companies have been qualified by AEPC/ESAP to participate in dissemination of Solar Home System and 36 Solar PV companies have been qualified to participate in dissemination of Small Solar Home System. Under these qualified companies more than 500 branches offices, dealers, agents are operating all over Nepal. This is creating a fairly competition and good networks of Solar PV system dissemination.

  2. Remarkable increase in Solar Home System installation and users’ confidence on Solar PV technology, SHS and its benefits thereby creating a competitive SHS market in rural areas.

  3. System for promoting product quality and service quality is developed
    • Development and setting of Solar PV Component Standards: Nepal Photovoltaic Quality Assurance (NEPQA) and Technical Standard for Small Home System
    • Establishment of Renewable Energy Test Station (RETS for Solar PV component testing
    • Development and implementation of guidelines for company qualification and disqualification mechanisms.
    • Design and implementation of a system for quality assurance and Monitoring (QA&M of SHS in field, including performance evaluation and grading of the companies, compensation criteria, exit mechanism.
    • Development of training manuals and training courses for solar electric technicians and establishment of skill testing system and laboratory at CTEVT.
    • Around 2500Solar Electric Level I and 200 Solar Electric Level II technicians are certified that has improved skill of locals and boosted employment opportunity in rural areas
    • Capacity enhancement of companies engineers by

  4. Use of Solar PV system has catalyzed a small revolution all over rural Nepal opening up peoples’ minds by providing electricity for better lighting as well as for operating radio, TV, video for information and entertainment. Use of Solar PV system has improved children education, health and sanitation, communication and socialization.

  5. Developing appropriate credit delivery modality for easy access and wider availability is in progress
    The component piloted as project named “Credit Financing SHS -2065” in 2009. Under this project following things were achieved;
    • Capacity of 21 rural cooperatives was enhanced as a result saving deposits, share capital, membership and investment of these cooperatives are increased and these cooperatives diversified their business.
    • 1165, SHS were installed through internal investment of LFIs of NRs. 85,53,008.00
    • Bank of Kathmandu, Clean Energy Development bank, and Cooperative bank provided wholesale loan amounting 5.5 million to rural cooperatives.

    Rural Energy Fund (REF) from 2010 is taking lead role in promoting credit financing renewable energy technologies including Solar PV Systems and they are renewing the project “Credit Financing SHS- 2065” is different districts. The component will provide technical support to REF for this project.