Solar Electric Light Fund - Carbon Offset Services

Carbon Offset Services

SELF provides carbon offset services for businesses, NGOs and special events. The average U.S. citizen produces five U.S. tons of CO₂ a year through electricity, home heating, vehicle use and airplane travel. Contributions to SELF’s Carbon Offset Program provide a way to neutralize the effect of those emissions an individual or business cannot reduce. In the United States, these contributions are tax-deductible.

When SELF installs a $400 solar photovoltaic (PV) home system in a remote rural village, it replaces kerosene as the main source of lighting. This offsets the six (U.S.) tons of CO₂ that would have been released into the atmosphere over the system’s 20-year lifetime. When the contribution of $400 is invested in a revolving microloan fund, it enables the future financing of 6.6 solar home systems over the same 20-year period. This will offset about 40 tons (6.6 systems x six tons per system = 39.6 tons) of CO₂, for a price of about $10 per ton.