North Koreans buying solar panels to generate electricity.

This trends is being driven by the falling price of Chinese solar panels, and no doubt, by growing demand as well.

Solar panels have become among the assets considered essential for life in North Korea by allowing households to connect them to rechargeable batteries which can power lights and household appliances, according to a local source.

“Now, it doesn’t matter whether we get power from the state. With these solar panels, we can use electricity,” The South Pyongan Province-based source reported to the Daily NK on Thursday, “To try to solve the power shortage issues, people have been saving up to somehow buy these solar panels.” [Daily NK]

Surprisingly, the panels are big enough to charge motorcycle and car batteries. As far as I’m concerned, the more solar panels there are, the more independence people have from the state’s grid, the more they can travel, and the more they can charge radios, cell phones, and computers.