People who aren't connected to the electric grid often get their light from candles or burning wood.
VOA: standard.2009.12.13
Instead of selling individual units, they would offer a low-power system that relied on a solar cell or car battery in remote areas that didn't have grid electricity.
After the bailout, they owned their own homes, they didn't pay into a corporate energy grid, and they didn't worry about food because they grew it on the roof.