Off the grid, rooftop panels can bring electricity to rural parts of low-income countries. Just as mobile phones leapfrogged installation of landlines and made communication more democratic, solar systems eliminate the need for large-scale, centralized power grids. High-income countries dominated investment in distributed solar until 2014, but now countries such as Chile, China, India, and South Africa have joined in. It means rooftop PV is accelerating access to affordable, clean electricity and thereby becoming a powerful tool for eliminating poverty. It is also creating jobs and energizing
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