Low-cost renewable energy technologies can make small-scale electricity production more accessible to rural communities. The local manufacturing of such technologies can significantly reduce the initial costs with the use of locally available materials, tools, and manufacturing techniques, and, at the same time, it can reduce maintenance costs by providing appropriate training to the user community. Open designs, which can be adopted to local needs and supported by a global technology network, have provided successful examples of appropriate technology applications for the past 40 years, such as small and pico hydroelectric rural electrification systems in Nepal and renewable energy training centers in Mali.