Like many people in rural areas in Uganda, Norbert Nyanda was using a kerosene lamp as the source of energy for lighting in his home in Ssumbwe, Wakiso district.
Erecting solar power in Uganda
His family was using candles at night, which was associated with a lot of smoke and risk in the house and to its inhabits.
This was in 2007 when a project supplying solar systems to beneficiaries of the housing scheme under the habitat for humanity project introduced the energy system in Ssumbwe.
“I decided to buy a solar panel,” says Mze Nyanda, a farmer. He says he paid 200,000 shillings in installment for the whole year. The system comprised a 14watts panel, a 5amps regulator and a 25amp hour battery with two lighting lamps.
The commissioner in charge of Energy Resources in the Ministry of Energy, James Baanabe says the bigger the solar panel the increase in power supply. He says solar panels can be used to provide security rights, run television sets, radios, charges phones.
The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development started marking energy week from Monday this week.