Photovoltaic news and pv jobs

Juwi installs PV system in Senegal health centre

Helping to realize the electrification of rural areas in West Africa, the Juwi group has installed a photovoltaic power plant in a Senegalese health centre. The company has also said that demand for off-grid solar island systems will rise in light of increasing oil and gas prices.

The plant has an output of four kilowatts. Image: Juwi.

The plant has an output of four kilowatts, which, says Juwi, is enough to supply the main consumers of the health centre with energy. Until now, the village and the hospital ward did not have any access to electricity.

Inverters were donated by SMA Solar Technology and modules were provided by Renewable Energy Corporation (REC). "REC is proud to partner with Juwi to make clean, renewable solar energy affordable and accessible everywhere. We are helping to meet this challenge by providing sustainable and innovative solar energy solutions," said Gonzalo De La Viña, country manager, Germany, REC.

Meanwhile, Juwi is working with the "Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit" GTZ (German technical cooperation) in preparation of the installation of solar island systems in 50 villages across the country. "Most villages in Senegal do not have access to general electricity. Solar based island systems, which supply energy independently of the grid, make it for the first time possible for people from rural areas to supply themselves with clean and tailored-made energy," said Fabian Jochem, who leads the juwi division

Mr. Jochem considers the potential for off-grid systems as enormous with regard to the rapidly rising power requirement in developing countries. "Oil and gas prices will further rise drastically, while solar electricity becomes ever cheaper. The demand for decentralized and autonomous island systems will grow strongly," he said.