Clean Energy Group has made partnerships to supply solar equipment for rural literacy classes in remote areas of Rattanakiri province in northeastern Cambodia. These areas are filled with minority language people groups living in villages barely touched by development initiatives.

Thanks to a subsidy of the French NGO Electriciens Sans Frontières (ESF), seven health centers of Kandal province have been equipped by Comin Khmere with solar systems to power a solar pump, lighting and computers.

Most of Cambodian off-grid dispensaries are still underequipped or using inefficient equipments. The quality of medical care is often linked to the access to energy and clear water. These new solar systems will not only improve the conditions of these premises but also bring savings on the budget allocated to water and electricity, which are now both supplied for free.

Lots of these projects were carried out in the past but none of them was sustainable. The main reason is that the equipments failed because of wrong usage or insufficient care.

To avoid that, a 3-year maintenance contract has been signed by the health center head, ESF which subsidizes half of the maintenance cost, and Comin Khmere which will be in charge of the maintenance. The monthly savings allowed by these new solar systems are more than enough to cover the expenses of the health center for the maintenance.