decentralized sustainable energy projects based on solar photovoltaic pv systems windelectric or microhydroelectric simple technologies are sufficient to provide lighting and electricity for basic appliances and power for smallscale productive activities such as electric fencing water pumping irrigation and icemaking see section d and table below this means that decentralized renewable energy units can provide a costeffective solution to quickly improve social and employment opportunities in isolated poor rural areas world bank b since the units are not connected to the main national grid there is no new demand on what is typically an already stretched national installed supply capacity this can significantly shorten the time frame for implementation of rural electrification projects