On April 3, 2018, the GIZ health project has installed a solar system for their office located in Congo Town. The 20kwatt solar system with 24 batteries will provide energy to all equipment.
This includes 12 air conditioners (12,000 – 18,000Btu), 5 printers/photocopiers/scanners, 15 labtops, 12 desktop computers, 1 refrigerator, 3 water dispensers, 5 percolators as well as all lights in and around the building.
The German Development organization GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit) has a lot of projects in Liberia, including support for the transport, health, and regional resource governance. Another GIZ project in Liberia is Energizing development (EnDev) aims to increase access to sustainable and affordable renewable energy technologies. EnDev is a global initiative in 26 countries, funded by governments of Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Since 2012, EnDev Liberia promotes solar electrification, building up markets for solar lanterns, solar dryers and improved cook stoves, strengthening expertise and resources and developing IT solutions. Staff from EnDev also supported the health project with their solar electrification.
The GIZ/EnDev led the implementation of the solar system in the health project office. Technical Project Coordinator Freeman K. Godu explained that at EnDev office in Congo Town Backroad they have decided to go from 40KVA generator and LEC to have solar energy installed at their office. According to him, they have benefited and saved a lot on fuel and LEC expenses. The solar systems at both EnDev and the Health project GIZ offices are SMA systems. This new technology can harvest energy from the sun and directly consume it, while excess power during harvesting can also be used to charge the batteries to provide power for the night.
At the installation of the solar system at the GIZ health project office, GIZ/EnDev trained individuals from the private sector to strengthen their capacities for solar electrification. About twenty six (26) persons benefited from this training program.Mr. Freeman K. Godu used the occasion to call on other offices throughout the Country to subscribe with solar, noting that renewable energy is the future of Liberia.