It's the fastest expansion of solar power ever, says the government of Bangladesh: From 7,000 households in 2002 to 1 million in 2011. Ninety million of Bangladesh's 150 million people have no access to electricity at all, so access to small-scale solar is transformative for this population.

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Solar rollout is happening even faster than expected in the country, which is aiming for 2.5 million households by 2014. Non-governmental organizations are selling the panels to individuals for small monthly installments. 

Much of the solar rollout is sponsored by the Grameen Shaktri bank, famous for microfinancing of small projects that can have an enormous impact in the lives of the world's poorest people.

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