Good will alone is not enough

The people in Africa are very open-minded in respect of solar energy because it offers them new chances in life.

But if that is the case, why are there not more solar projects? There are five main reasons for this:

The possibilities which solar power can offer are, to a great extent, unknown. The voluntary aid organisations which are active in Africa as well as the local engineers and electricians use the old diesel generator technology in order to produce electricity. This is mostly due to the fact that they have never come into contact with any other viable kind of technology. The diesel generator, however, has the disadvantage that it does not function reliably and supplying remote areas with fuel is also problematic.

The consequence for the Stiftung Solarenergie: At the "International Solar Energy School", founded by us, we train Ethiopian solar technicians.

The fact that the sun does not shine on 365 days of the year in Africa is an often underestimated factor. There are sometimes long and intense rainy seasons and some solar systems are doomed to failure here because they were not dimensioned to compensate for these periods.

The consequence for the Stiftung Solarenergie: The solar systems implemented in our projects are always dimensioned in accordance with the duration of sunshine in the rainy season (worst case approach).

Whoever tries to introduce new technology without integrating the future users will soon face problems in respect of the willingness to use this technology. If one tries, for example, to implement a solar system in such a way that the people have to change a way of life which has been handed down over centuries, one will be attempting to place technology above the human being and thus be committing a grave mistake.

The consequence for the Stiftung Solarenergie: All projects are realised in close contact with the future users and under careful consideration of their needs.

The great challenge in the rural areas of Africa in respect of solar systems is not the installation itself, but ensuring that they remain in operation for a sustained period of time. This is not only a technical, but also a financial challenge. After being put into operation, many solar systems do not survive the first year because no precautions are taken to ensure that they operate reliably in the long run.

The consequence for the Stiftung Solarenergie: We place particular importance on a long-term reliable operation of our solar systems. We place our trust in a financial, socio-cultural and technical operational concept which is tried and tested and which places responsibility step-for-step in the hands of the users.

Nothing is more convincing for the people than a working model project. This is also true in respect of solar technology. Although the people in many areas would like to turn their backs on the old diesel generator technology, there are not enough model solar projects which could help increase the awareness and popularity of this modern form of technology.

The consequence for the Stiftung Solarenergie: Our projects therefore serve as model projects. They can be easily duplicated and give, at the same time, the local handcraft an additional boost.