Our Mission

 

mission

STG (previously operating as the Solar Turbine Group) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Cambridge, Massachusetts whose mission is to provide technical, financial and intellectual support, assistance, and training to projects and organizations focused on bringing sustainable energy technologies to communities across the developing world.

 

Our Vision

 

Access to energy is an imperative for development and improving quality of life for the world’s most rural citizens.  We envision a future where the aspirations of these 1 billion people who currently have no access to modern forms of energy can be met without further risk to our shared environment.  Further, we believe that growth in energy demand can be coupled with growth of the local renewable energy sector, fostering economic activity and creation of jobs within economies where technology businesses have traditionally lagged.  In this way, we can create positive feedback loops, where energy demand supports sustainable businesses which continue to expand energy access, and where energy access improves services at health clinics and schools, improving quality of life for rural citizens who are then able to grow local enterprises and further improve their entire communities.

vision

Our approach

approach

We believe that a multifaceted approach is necessary to tackle the challenge of energy access globally: technology development, technology training and transfer, and business model development. Our team works on all of these fronts, building strategic partnerships with governments, NGOs, the private sector, and academia to identify and pursue the most promising areas for research and development, to find and serve communities in need, and to grow the technology sector in relevant markets.

In particular we have envisioned an option for rural electrification that is affordable, distributed, and renewable and able to provide rural citizens with the same quality of service as national grids deliver around the globe. One component of this is developing technologies that can be locally customized, manufactured, and distributed to simultaneously grown local economies while ensuring long-term system maintenance capabilities. Another is creation and implementation of solar energy training courses, serving both educators (“teach the teachers”) and practitioners. Further, we enable cost-minimized mini-grid/micro-grid projects through utilization of our custom Hybrid Techno-Economic models and design tools as well as unique financing models. Overall, we aim to support the entire project chain, from human resources through to implementation details, to ensure improved energy access for the world’s citizens who need it the most.