Solar for schools in Iringa...

Last week was really busy. I guess that's what happens when the boss comes to town.

Mason, Operations Manager for SolarAid Tanzania, arrived on Tuesday along with the macro-solar Project Manager Dennis and the newest recruit to the SolarAid Tanzania team, Slobodan who was formerly Professor of Renewable Energy at Arizona State University. Slobodan is volunteering with SolarAid for the next six months.

Left to right: Dennis, Slobodan, me and Mason. Iringa region, Tanzania

Up until now, my trip has been focused almost entirely on micro-solar...selling panels and devices with a maximum output of about 2w. However, SolarAid is also developing two further macro-solar projects.

Thankfully, SolarAid has secured funding to enable a 90% subsidy of the installation and panel costs for approximately 80 schools. And will soon hopefully secure funding to do the same thing for 30 health clinics. The latter has been helped enormously by the donation of 200 panels from Slobodan's old university!

Me giving a micro-solar demonstration to school children of Iringa.

There are a lot more than 80 schools in the Iringa area alone, all of which would benefit from solar installations. So, sites have to be selected carefully, based on criteria such as their proximity to power lines, their commitment to education of their pupils in renewable energy, whether the roofs of the building are heavily shaded and many other factors.

Site selection involves a site visit and most of the schools are pretty hard to find. Add to this the fact that the Iringa region alone stretches several hundred kilometres in every direction - so the site visits alone will take some time!

More about the site visits in my next blog soon.

Helen