In 1984, TERI entered Dhanawas, a village in northern India, to gain field experience in planning for the energy needs of a rural community and finding sustainable solutions to meet these needs. The book is the result of 15 years of action-oriented field research in the village. The long association with a single village and its people provided valuable insights into issues in the rural energy planning and implementation in context of a rapidly changing village scenario. The emphasis of the book is more on the socio-cultural reality in which energy programmes need to be sustained. The micro-level experience is of immense value for it is such initiatives that need to drive programmes and policies in future. The issues highlighted in the book are of relevance to all stakeholders in the rural and renewable energy sector in India.