PIP: Rural areas in developing countries have no hope of benefiting from electricity generation programs because of a lack of resources. Currently the common practice is to use kerosene lamps for light, disposable batteries for radios, and auto batteries for television. The auto battery must be hauled by pack animal to a charging station. An alternative that is growing in popularity is the installation of photovoltaic (PV) systems in each house. The advantages include very low operating costs (sunshine is free), long life (PV cells last 20 years), they can be installed in any home without regard for power grids. The biggest disadvantage is very high initial cost. To solve this problem many programs have been developed to finance systems. Enersol Associates started with $10,000 seed money and developed a loan program that has helped bring electricity to 1500 homes in the Dominican Republic. The Solar Electric Light and Fund started with $150,000 and has brought electricity to 3500 homes in Sri Lanka. The United Nations Development Program gave $7 million to Zimbabwe to fund a project that is expected to bring electricity to 20,000 homes over the next 5 years.