Lack of access to electricity grid form the main challenge facing majority of developing regions
particularly in rural communities. The situation is driven mostly by the absence of electricity
infrastructure in most of the developing countries particularly in rural communities. A number of
developing countries are now encouraging the use of solar home systems in isolated areas. Botswana is
not immune to this trend. Consequently, available evidence puts the overall contribution of solar energy
to primary energy supply in Botswana to less than 1%. A plethora of factors are responsible for inhibiting
rapid development of solar home systems in isolated areas in Botswana. Some major impediments often
cited as causing low use of solar home systems by rural communities in Botswana include, among others,
the following:
(i) Low-income status of most rural inhabitants.
(ii) Migration of house-owners from village status to lands, or cattle posts.
This paper, therefore, analyses factors that impede the rapid development of photovoltaics power
generation systems in rural environments in Botswana. The analysis is based on photovoltaic power
generation pilot project which was carried out in three (3) villages in Botswana, namely Kudumatse,
Lorolwana and Motlhabaneng.