Kyocera Corporation has announced it is donating and installing off grid solar power systems to 15 schools in Uganda over the next five years.
Each package will include a 600 watt solar power system based on Kyocera solar panels and incorporate deep cycle batteries for electricity storage.
The first of the installations was completed at three primary and middle schools last month.
Approximately only 20 percent of urban areas and 4 percent of rural areas in Uganda are supplied with electricity; with much of the population depending on kerosene lamps or generators for lighting and electricity in the home. This is not only an expensive and carbon dioxide emissions intensive way to generate electricity and light, but poses health and safety issues.
While a 600 watt power system may not sound like much by Australian standards, the power these systems will provide can make a huge difference in the quality of education in the schools. Uganda’s adult literacy rate is only 66.8 percent,
The donation of solar power systems by Kyocera will provide light for classrooms and to power televisions and radios for educational purposes. The systems may also provide a spark of inspiration to students to pursue a career in solar power or other forms of renewable energy.
Kyocera Corporation, the headquarters and parent company of the global Kyocera group, was founded in 1959 in Kyoto, Japan. In 1975, the company helped to organize the Japan Solar Energy Corp. and began production of silicon solar cells in 1976.
Related:
