The high cost of power is one of the major challenges local businesses face, according experts. To make matters worse, there are regular power cuts that are sometimes not scheduled, besides insufficient supply.

However, alternative energy sources, like solar power can enable businesses to operate at minimal costs and ensure sustainability.

For instance, using solar water heaters in your home or lodging business is one of the cost effective ways to provide your family or clientele hot water.

Solar water heating collectors capture and retain heat from the sun and transfer this heat to the water, according to Bosco Tushabe, an electromechanical manager at Balton Rwanda.

Tushabe says solar water solutions allow for innovation, provide quality and enable home owners, institutions and businesses, such as hotels, hospitals, apartment buildings and industries, to cut costs by up to 40 per cent in short period.

"If it is properly designed and installed, a solar water-heating system can provide a large percentage of a home’s hot water for many years with limited maintenance,” he notes.

Therefore, even if energy prices increase by 6 per cent annually, the average hotel or family would save thousands of francs over the coming decades as a solar water heater system can last up to 40 years.

In Rwanda, there are several solar water heater suppliers in the market, including Balton, the official distributor for Chromagen. Chromagen pioneered production of solar water solutions around 1962.

Tushabe notes that in addition to cutting energy costs, the solar water heaters promote environmental conservation.

"A solar hot water heater is one of the easiest initial investment in renewable energy since the power is generated directly from the sun,” he says.

Theophile Nubaha, the general manager of Galaxy Hotel, says that they have significantly cut their energy costs since they installed water heaters at the business.

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