About OSSP

The sun is the ultimate open energy source and OSSP aims to help everyone harness it. The number of solar PV systems in the developing world has been growing at a rapid rate and has managed to provide energy access to millions of people, unfortunately adequate standards and appropriate training programs have not followed suit in many locations. Many equipment vendors and installers have little to no training nor are they subject to any form of regulation and end users often have little understanding of the technology. This has lead to the proliferation of many improperly designed PV systems that not only lead to poor end-user experiences but also represent a safety risk. This website is an effort to improve small-scale battery-based (SSBB) solar PV system design, safety, and user experiences in these areas by providing appropriate information, resources and tools on the universal, basic aspects of off-grid system design and installation. OSSP hopes to serve as both a direct resource (via smart phones and internet in hub cities) and as a readily-adaptable base for the development of low-cost training materials and programs that are tailored to the needs and standards of a particular area. Please reach out to alex@opensourcesolar.org if you are interested in collaborating, have found mistakes, would like to contribute or need assistance creating training materials.

Aims of OSSP:

• Provide an appropriate level of detail for each topic in a way that is practical and accessible for an audience with a varying level of technology literacy.
• Provide tools to simplify the design process that function with components from any manufacturer.
• Present universal concepts in a way that is universal. Information or resources that are location specific should be added to a country page.
• Utilize well-designed graphics that include minimal text to enable easy adapatation and translation using captions.