In the small farming village of Sabongari, in Cameroon's northwest region, the need for kerosene to light bush lamps and petrol to run electric generators has been replaced by the need for something much cheaper and cleaner: sunshine.

In an open corner in the village of about 2,000 people, large sunlight-capturing solar panels stand tilted toward the sun. They form the mini-solar power plant that supplies the electricity grid here in this village that is some 700 km from the country's capital, Yaoundé. It is an unusual sight in rural Cameroon.

The grid supplies 30 homes, three small shops and a local hotel with electricity 24 hours a day. One of these homeowners is Ndzi Samuel, a local primary school teacher.

"My children can now read with good lights, and I am able to use a mobile telephone today with no problem although we also have very low network coverage," said Samuel.

Prior to the installation of the solar panels in 2011, this village relied on three electric generators owned by business people. It allowed the few people here with mobile phones to charge them, but the electric generators were unreliable and often short-circuited equipment.

While this west Central African nation may have the second largest hydroelectric production potential in Sub-Saharan Africa – 103 Terawatt hours per year at present – only 30 percent of that potential is being exploited, according to the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP). Moreover, access to electricity in rural areas is low.

According to the World Bank, of the country's estimated 20 million people, some 8.1 million people live in rural areas and only 14 percent of those have access to electricity. It is a huge disparity compared to access in urban areas of 65 to 88 percent of the population.

The government has been encouraging the use of solar panels to generate electricity. In 2011 a law was passed declaring that those importing solar equipment would not have to pay Value Added Tax from the 2012 financial year.

"Solar power is a good opportunity for all in Africa. Africa's position at the equator level makes this continent the sunniest in the world," said Asanji Nelson, a renewable energy engineer at the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Water Resources.

But reaching rural areas with this alternative power source is still a challenge because the costs of the solar panels still remain unaffordable to the rural poor who depend on subsistence farming for their livelihood. An overview of market prices shows that home panels range from $400 to $10,000.

"The final cost of a solar panel is still a major impediment to villagers as such; enterprises in Cameroon do not target the rural poor due to costs that cannot be borne by villagers," Asanji told IPS.

According to official statistics, there are more than 25 registered firms providing solar panels in Cameroon, but most of them target urban dwellers and businesses.

The Cameroon Solar Energy Co. also provides sustainable energy to people, but mainly reaches an urban-based clientele who acquire solar panels as a backup in case of a general electricity blackout.

Renewable Energy Innovators (REI) was able to install the panels in Sabongari and 10 other rural villages thanks to international funding.

Numfor Jude, the president and co-founder of REI, explained that Wireless Light & Powers, a Canadian organization that works to improve the lives of people in rural communities, supports them by providing material and financial resources for REI to travel to rural villages and by importing the solar panels into the country.

In Sabongari, the installation costs of the mini-solar power plant were minimal. "The villagers showed interest in the project by contributing the money that covers the partial cost of installation. Each household contributed a sum of $25 and businesses paid $100. A maintenance fee of $1 each is expected from them monthly," he said.

Meanwhile, Cameroonians are increasingly vocal about power shortages and blackouts, which have made energy an increasingly important political and economic issue. Rising oil prices, increasing global energy consumption and concern for the environment have led to a renewed interest in renewable energy. Cameroon's development objectives under the Vision 2035 program envisage significant investments in the renewable energy sector.