Access to electricity is one of the priorities of Rwanda’s National Strategy for Transformation (NST1). About 3.72 million households -to mean a hundred percent of the whole population- will access electricity by 2024, according to the Strategy.
To achieve this, 48 percent of the population will access electricity through solar panels. Thus, the government of Rwanda is encouraging and facilitating the private sector to provide solar energy to the people living in those areas that don’t have access to on grid electricity.
The Energy Private Developers (EPD), an association grouping private companies operating in energy sector in Rwanda, has currently registered over 40 solar companies which have invested in Solar Home System Business (SHS). Some of the key players in solar energy are Bboxx and Mobisol.
The SHS kits vary and include: 12W, 20W, 40W, 50W, 100W, 120W and 300W with average price of 67,678Rwf per kit.
James Twesigye head of Off Grid Solutions in REG says that Government established Nkunganire Project, where if the solar panel does not exceed 115,000Rwf, those in the first category of Ubudehe are supported and given 90 percent of the cost of the panel, paying only 10 percent, those in category two get 70 percent of the cost only pay 30 percent, while those in 3rd category, are given 45 percent and pay 55 percent of the cost.
Twesigye adds that if the equipment exceeds 115,000 Rwf, then those in first category are given an allowance of 100,000 Rwf and pay the rest, those in category two are supported 80 thousand and those in category 3 are supported 50 thousand.
“This year we have recorded 77,370 new households access to solar energy, and we are confident that this number will increase significantly that we will meet our electricity target,” Twesigye said.
According to Rwanda Energy Group (REG), about 560 thousand households (16% of Rwandan households) are accessing electricity through off-grid system, mainly solar.
Although Rwanda is characterized by Savannah climate and its geographical location endows it with sufficient solar radiation intensity approximately equal to 5kWh/m2/day and peak sun hours of approximately 5 hours per day, it was difficult for people of Butunzi cell, Rulindo District where electrical cables don’t reach to fully utilize activities which require electricity in daily life. However, that has changed.
Frodouard Twizeyimana, a health counselor and builder, says he used to sleep with his phone off to preserve the battery life. As a result, he was not able to satisfactorily perform his duty as a health counselor which requires being in touch with people at all times.
“Because I need mobile phone in daily life, I couldn’t find a time to charge it during day time, and the night falls when it is off, when a pregnant woman comes to me at night making calls to the health centre would often be difficult,” he said.
Filomina Mukakayumba also said she has lost numerous employment opportunities because her phone was usually off when potential employers would call her.
Angelique Mushimiyimana, a student at G.S Kinihira , would have a difficult time doing revision and homework because her parents couldn’t let her study using candle which is expensive and even doesn’t produce sufficient light.
This became the old story as Vincent Kavamahanga, executive secretary of Butunzi Cell says that the people of Butunzi involve in the use of solar energy in large quantity where 442 households in Butunzi cell use solar energy.
Those people brag that there is no difference between them and conventional electricity users.
Francois Ntakiyimana, a teacher at Kinihira Primary School, says he is now able to prepare courses at home and correct students’ exam papers at his home, as he has solar panel, and he is no longer late at school preparing course outlines.
Mukakayumba also says she has power on her phone, now her employer calls her whenever they want to give her a job, without knocking at their homes every day.
Fidele Nzabonimpa, a chief of security guards in Akamiyove village, said that since solar panels have become widespread in many areas, security has improved as people sleep with the street lights on, and thieves hiding in the dark could be easily spotted.
Abayisenga Jean Remmy, a technician in Ignite, a solar company, says that the solar panels can be bought by anyone, and get a technician to install it. “Since we offer a warranty to the client, our technicians install it and when it is damaged, we repair it for free.”
Although solar panels helped people plagued by darkness, there are still some problems in that. Twizeyimana said “when there is not enough sun, and not enough percentage in cash power, the phones cannot be charged and the power supply is so low and don’t save enough power, so, during the rainy season, the darkness returns.”
Mukakayumba also says that sometimes she is charged for extra money she is not supposed to pay. “They recently told me that I had a debt and I wasn’t able to get light for three days, but when I paid they lit it up again,” she said.
There are also some who say that solar panels are not powerful enough that plugging in material that require as much power as the refrigerator, the iron box and others is impossible.
