By Diane Cardwell | The New York Times
In recent years, solar energy has emerged as a solution for powering places that lack sufficient electricity, frequently remote areas in developing nations where conventional fuel can be expensive.
Now, Vestas, the wind technology giant, is betting its products can do the same. On Monday, the company announced a project called Wind for Prosperity, with the goal of bringing low-cost power to rural populations around the globe.
The project — a partnership of Vestas, Masdar, the Abu Dhabi renewable energy company and Frontier Investment Management, a Danish private equity outfit — aims to start supplying electricity next year to more than 200,000 people spread across roughly 13 communities in Kenya. The company plans to replicate the project elsewhere in Africa and in Asia and Latin America, using refurbished wind turbines in tandem with diesel generators to cut power costs by at least 30 percent, Vestas executives said.
