By Emeritus Professor I M Dharmadasa (UK) and Dr Geewananda Gunawardana (USA). What started as an academic partnership in the 1990s has grown into a grassroots movement bringing sustainable power, clean water, and financial independence to rural villages in Sri Lanka. Founded by Professor I.M. Dharmadasa of Sheffield Hallam University, the Solar Village project goes [...]
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By Emeritus Professor I M Dharmadasa (UK) and Dr Geewananda Gunawardana (USA). What started as an academic partnership in the 1990s has grown into a grassroots movement bringing sustainable power, clean water, and financial independence to rural villages in Sri Lanka. Founded by Professor I.M. Dharmadasa of Sheffield Hallam University, the Solar Village project goes far beyond simply installing solar panels, it creates self-sustaining economic engines that lift communities out of poverty. The Blueprint for self-reliance Setting up a solar village is a collaborative community effort. First, the project team identifies a village of roughly 1,000 residents who could benefit from renewable energy. Next, the villagers form a Village Development Committee (VDC) with an equal number of male and female leaders, complete with a dedicated bank account to manage all project funds transparently.
Rooftopt solar in Nochchiya: A revolutionary concept with a vision to empower rural community
Rather than relying on charity handouts, every solar village builds a permanent “wealth creation method” to generate continuous income. These income streams fall into three main categories: n Grid-Tied Solar Roofs: Systems installed under the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) Net Plus scheme feed clean electricity back into the national grid, turning sunlight into direct monthly cash flow for the community bank account. n Clean Drinking Water: Solar-powered pumps supply fresh drinking water, with households contributing nominal fees to the VDC fund. n Agricultural Drip-Irrigation: Solar water pumps support local food production, with participating farmers contributing a portion back to the collective fund. Every rupee earned is reinvested directly back into the community—funding school upgrades and libraries, organising environmental projects like tree planting and beekeeping, and offering micro-loans to families in need.
Inspiring Success Stories Since the first pilot project saved a local primary school from closure in 2008, twelve solar villages have been successfully established across Sri Lanka with the backing of UK-based charities like Helasarana, APSL-UK, and the Helios Renewable Energy Foundation. The shining star of the initiative is the Nochchiya solar village, established in 2017. Starting with a 7 kW grid-connected solar roof, the revenue generated not only covered the operation of local water pumps and a purification system but also allowed the village to sell surplus clean water to seven neighboring communities. With an initial investment of just Rs 1.8 million, the Nochchiya VDC has accumulated over Rs 7.3 million in savings after nine years. They have saved these funds in addition to building a community hall, an office, an IT lab, and repair 3 kilometers of local roads. In a true testament to the success of the model, older villages like Nochchiya and Mediyawa are now financially supporting newer villages as they get off the ground.
Adapting for the future Like any pioneering effort, the project has faced hurdles—including bureaucratic delays and shifting tariffs from the state electricity board. However, the team has turned these challenges into opportunities for innovation. To bypass grid bottlenecks, the project is shifting toward localised agricultural solutions like solar-powered drip irrigation. To combat potential food security threats driven by climate change, the team is also introducing the British “allotments” (community gardening) concept to Sri Lanka, launching three pilot community gardens in the 12th solar village at Handungamuwa. Additionally, creative solutions like beehive fences and elephant-repelling trees are helping communities manage human-elephant conflicts peacefully.
Looking ahead To accelerate this momentum and attract wider global support, the project established a Community Interest Company (CIC), solarvillagesdg, in late 2024. Remarkably, it takes just £5,000 to fund the launch of an entirely new solar village. By turning sunshine into self-reliance, these villages prove that small green investments can spark massive, lasting human change. To learn more or support the initiative, visit www.solarvillagesdg.org or watch the Poverty Alleviation through Solar Villages feature on YouTube.
(The authors can be contacted at [email protected] )
Print Edition – The Sunday Times, Sri Lanka
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