Unique business models will boost solar energy use - experts

Experts have called for unique business models to boost solar energy use in the country. Justus Mucyo, the Managing director BBOXX Ltd, one of the leading solar energy providers has urged sector players to come up with suitable products and sales mechanisms that are consumer friendly to boost solar energy use in the country. In an interview with Business Times, yesterday Mucyo said, providers must work around the clock to take solar services to the customer. “Customers look at electricity in terms of the availability and benefits; therefore streamlining the solar energy industry to best suit customers offers the best alternative,” Mucyo said. The advice comes at a time when government is seeking ways of increasing power generation and distribution capacity. Government plans to increase off-grid power generation to about 22MW by 2018, up from 8.75MW presently, solar energy being one of the proposed alternatives. The country relies on hydro-power, which accounts for 97.37MW of electricity, while thermal energy contributes 51.7MW, and methane gas, 3.6MW. The overall target is to increase generation capacity to at least 563MW by 2018 from the current 186MW, and investing in solar energy is an important milestone towards realising this objective. Other players like Mobisol Rwanda, Energy Development Corporation Limited and the European Union are already in a partnership to power more than 49,000 households and 1,000 schools. The four-year programme is being implemented by Mobisol in collaboration with the Energy Development Corporation Limited (EDCL), a subsidiary of the Rwanda Energy Group (REG), according to Alex Ruzigura, the Mobisol marketing manager. In addition, BBOXX have powered 1500 schools in the country and plan to light another 30,000 households with clean energy. Government has also signed an agreement with Ignite Power Ltd, a Mauritian firm engaged in large-scale deployment of clean energy solutions in Africa to power more than 250000 families through rural electrification program. This particular agreement will see Ignite Power Ltd invest more than $50 million (about Rwf37 billion) into off-grid power solution for the next five years. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Unique business models will boost solar energy use - experts