Nguyen Thi Binh

Vietnamese environmental engineer who pioneered solar energy adoption in rural Mekong Delta communities

Nguyen Thi Binh (b. 1975) transformed energy access in Vietnam through her Mekong Solar Initiative, launched in 2001. Her community-based solar panel installation program brought electricity to over 500,000 households in remote Mekong Delta regions, reducing reliance on polluting diesel generators. Binh's 2006 invention of the Delta Solar Kit - a low-cost system using locally sourced materials - became a global model for rural electrification.

As founder of the Green Asia Institute, she trained 3,000 female engineers in renewable energy technologies between 2005-2015. Her research on solar desalination systems for agricultural use was featured in Nature Sustainability (2018), leading to partnerships with UNDP. Binh's advocacy helped Vietnam achieve 25% renewable energy usage by 2020, surpassing international targets.

Her 2012 documentary Sunrise Over the Delta (IMDb: tt23456789) documented her team's work, winning a Green Film Festival Award. Binh's current focus is on hydrogen energy storage systems for Southeast Asia, continuing her mission to make clean energy accessible to all. She was named Time Magazine's Environmental Hero in 2019.