Image by Albrecht Fietz from Pixabay
Lesufi lights up informal settlement with micro solar grid
A micro solar grid installed for an informal settlement in Alexandra township will be completed at the end of the month.
Image by Albrecht Fietz from Pixabay
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and the City of Johannesburg have unveiled a first-of-its-kind solar microgrid, which will help light up around 200 homes in Alexander’s informal settlement.
Microgrids are local electricity grids that serve small populations, often powered by renewable resources(such as solar power) and able to function independently from a larger network.
LIGHTING UP AN INFORMAL SETTLEMENT
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Residents of the informal settlement say they are often at loggerheads with neighbouring communities over illegal connections and stolen or overloaded transformers.
According to Lesufi, the new microgrid will provide an adequate electricity supply to informal settlements and ease the pressure on power utilities.
“The purpose of this innovative and clean energy project is to provide reliable electricity supply to the informal dwellers”, says Lesufi.
“This is part of the Province’s commitment to renewable and sustainable energy along with a move towards unburdening Eskom by reducing our over-reliance on the Power utility.”
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