Majority of Sanaa residents rely on solar power

(16 Jul 2019) LEAD IN:

In Sanaa, 70 percent of residents now use solar energy to power their homes.

Electricity cuts and shortages of traditional fuels have meant this alternative power source has flourished.



STORY-LINE:

Sadam Hamza is going shopping.

And he's got a very specific list of items he needs to buy - solar panels and the equipment to get them working.

Getting by without electricity has become part of daily life for people in Yemen.

Amid the world's worst humanitarian disaster, large areas of the country have been left without electricity.

And in downtown Sanaa, shops selling solar panels and batteries are doing brisk business.

Hamza selects what he needs and heads home.

There's plenty of sunshine available in Yemen.

Hamza just needs to get his panels installed on the roof to make the most of this renewable energy.

He's arranged for an engineer to set up the equipment.

And with a few cables and the right connections, the television soon springs into life.

"The solar energy here has solved most of our problems," Hamza says.

"With solar energy, we can now use the television and the washing machine and light the house. We can use what we need and even pump the water to the house with this energy."

Yemen's economy has been battered by the ongoing war, so buying the solar power equipment is a significant outlay for people on tight budgets.

The batteries for these systems also need to be replaced regularly - as often as once a year.

But despite the costs, solar power has become a popular choice in the capital.

"70 percent of Sanaa's residents - almost 5 million people - use alternative energy," says economic expert, Rasheed Hijazi.

"The cost of alternative energy is less than the cost of electricity which was provided by previous governments. The cost of energy purchased is 3 billion US dollars (annually), while today the cost of solar panels and alternative energy is only 300 million US dollars."

The conflict in Yemen began with the 2014 takeover of Sanaa by the Iranian-backed Houthis, and a Saudi-led coalition allied with Yemen's internationally recognised government has been fighting the Houthis since 2015.



Find out more about AP Archive:

Twitter:

Facebook:

Google+:

Tumblr:

Instagram:





You can license this story through AP Archive:

AP Archive,4220590,b5a5de26e75da688996be08a9348d9c0,MEEX Yemen Solar Power,Yemen,Middle East,Sanaa,Business,