INVESTMENT in infrastructure projects has gained momentum over the years; thanks to a government deliberate policy to woo investors to spur the country’s growth pace. In particular, the energy sector has seen renewed efforts in terms of revamping the sector as a major driver of the country’s national development vision. Several energy projects across the country are on course. But despite these efforts, achieving sufficient safe and renewable energy requires more efforts at the micro level especially within homes and small businesses. And this is the message that came out of the just concluded iPAD Rwanda Power and Infrastructure Investment forum. The continent has huge potential for off-grid energy; it has abundant sunshine to produce solar energy and enough wind power to increase electricity production. The solar farm in the Eastern Province, and the interest generated by the Lake Kivu Methane projects among others have unlocked that potential. Rwanda Energy Group has many ambitious projects in the pipeline to increase energy production, but they are costly and take time to realize. Promotion of solar energy is the best bet as it does not need miles and miles of cables and poles to carry electricity to rural households, and it also needs minimal maintenance. Some small firms already embarked on serving remote areas with solar energy but authorities could take solar a notch higher seeing that wind turbines come with a heavy price tag. New buildings; be they commercial or residential, should be encouraged to install solar panels to cut down on energy use. With the country seeking to firmly embrace industrialisation, it will need all the energy available. It is time to see the country’s rooftops dotted with solar panels, an indication that the quest towards affordable and renewable energy is not just a matter of recommendations in various energy summits, but a reality.
