by AFP — Ice cream is back on the shelves in the northern Lebanese village of Toula after two years of power cuts. Solar power has made its return possible. Lebanon’s economy collapsed in 2019 after decades of corruption and mismanagement, leaving the state unable to provide electricity for more than an hour or two per day. Last winter, residents of Toula barely had three hours of daily generator-driven electricity. A large area of solar panels surrounded by vegetation.
Solar power now helps keep the lights on for 17 hours, an engineer working on the alternative energy project said. Mini-market owner Jacqueline Younes said she was waiting for the first order of ice cream to arrive. “For two years the kids have been asking for ice cream, now it’s finally time,” she said. While many Lebanese rely on costly generators for electricity, a growing number of homes, companies and state institutions are turning to solar. They are not doing it for environmental reasons but because it is their only option.
Solar panels dot rooftops and parking lots, powering entire villages and Beirut’s only functioning traffic lights, thanks to a local non-government organisation. “Solar energy is no longer an alternative, it’s a necessity,” engineer Elie Gereige said. “If we hadn’t installed panels, the village wouldn’t have any electricity.” Ms Gereige is part of a team of volunteers that has raised more than $US100,000 ($148,000) from Toula expatriates to build a solar farm with 185 panels installed on church land.
They worked with the municipality to feed the village generator with solar energy, cutting down on fuel costs while powering the entire community. An hour’s drive south of Toula, a branch of Spinneys supermarket is also installing panels in the parking lot and rooftop to slash its generator bills. Hassan Ezzeldine, who is the chairman of Gray Mackenzie Retail Lebanon which owns the supermarket, said he believed the change would cut their energy bill in half. He said the company spends between $US800,000 and $US1.4 million ($1.1m and $2m) a month on electricity for its chain of supermarkets to power generators that run on diesel round-the-clock. “The cost of generators today is dramatic,” Mr Ezzeldine said. “It’s a disaster.” “We thought … it’s something we needed to do, and we needed to do it immediately.”
Residents are also turning to solar to cut down on generator bills, setting up panels and batteries on balconies and rooftops. Zeina Sayegh installed solar power for about $US6,000 for her Beirut apartment last summer, when the state lifted most petrol subsidies. She was the only one in the building with panels. This year, nine neighbours have joined her, covering the roof with metal bars connecting dozens of panels. She has switched completely to solar, limiting power consumption at night and has non-stop electricity in the summertime which is a rare luxury.
Is rooftop solar worth forking out for?
Rising electricity bills have some people warming to the idea of solar power. So how much does it cost to switch to solar and how long will it take to pay off? We asked the experts. “I’m more comfortable this way. I feel I’m in control of the electricity and not the other way around,” she said. In a country where poverty is rampant and bank depositors with savings are locked out of their accounts, installing solar power is expensive. Many Lebanese have resorted to selling a car, jewellery or a plot of land to afford switching to solar. However, Free Energy’s Antoine Skayem said demand had opened the door “for anyone to start selling solar systems”. He said demand from cash-strapped municipalities had soared, but they were vulnerable to political meddling and patronage. AFP
