Community-driven Empowerment: An EWB-USA Approach to Solar PV in Developing Communities

In response to the emerging prevalence of rural electrification projects with solar photovoltaic technology, Engineers Without Borders-USA (EWB-USA) has taken an active role in establishing and promoting best practices in sustainable infrastructure development. This paper summarizes the collaboration of a committee of electrical engineering faculty and professionals to document a philosophy and methodology for assessment, design, implementation, and monitoring of solar photovoltaic energy systems for EWB-USA projects to achieve the level of quality that our partner communities have come to expect and deserve. EWB-USA welcomes the participation of other interested individuals through its Energy Standing Content Committee (Energy-SCC).