Wind Energy

Photovoltaic solar energy to supply Rwandan schools with electricity

The solar energy facility will provide electricity to power eight secondary schools in south-eastern Rwanda, the sources said. According to a statement, made available to PANA by the EU Delegation in Kigali, the inauguration of the new photovoltaic power plant is part of a larger project aimed at electrifying several isolated schools located in the 27 districts in Rwanda.

The solar power plant currently operates at a capacity of 1.74 kilowatts and is expected to reach full power at the end of the year, the sources said.

The Rwandan government, facing an energy crisis, has invested in diversifying its sources, particularly by shifting to renewable energy, which will cover at least 60 per cent of the country’s energy consumption by 2020, according to forecasts.

Firewood remains the main source of energy in the country, particularly in rural areas, with about 93 per cent of the population of this small Central African country heavily depending on this resource.

Official statistics show that at least 80 per cent of the electricity generated in Rwanda, mainly by hydroelectric dams, are distributed in the city of Kigali and its vicinity, where only five per cent of the Rwandan population live.

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