The Rwandan government has announced plans to install 300 off grid solar power systems at 300 remote schools in the country.
While we take access to electricity for granted, in Rwanda only 7% of the population is connected to mains and in rural areas, electricity availability is even lower – just 1%.
Even those who do have electricity connected pay dearly for the privilege – around 23c per kilowatt hour. With average income in the nation far lower than in Australia, the real cost in Australian dollars when considered as a proportion of income is much higher.
Rwanda’s Rural Electrification program is seeking to provide access to electricity to 16% of the population by 2012 and 50 percent by 2017. Solar energy will feature heavily in the expansion, particularly in rural areas.
As a part of the program, Rwanda’s government recently announced a $7.5 million project to install solar PV systems at 300 remote schools.
Announcing the initiative, Infrastructure Minister Vincent Karega. said solar power has proven to be one of the most reliable and economical methods electricity distribution systems for rural electrification.
Aside from the schools, off-grid solar power systems are expected to deliver around 10,000 new connections in the country under the rural electrification program
Rwanda has selected Isofoton SA, a Spanish PV solar module manufacturer, to undertake the solar schools project, which will be funded jointly by Rwanda and the European Union.
Wind power is also being considered under the rural electrification program and a national wind atlas is being developed for Rwanda with the support of Belgian
Government.
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