(DNE Photo)
By Rana Yehia
In the context of energy conservation by finding new alternatives to cover the deficit in electricity, many governorates started expanding the use of solar energy in lighting the streets, governmental buildings and even residential buildings, Minister of Local Development Adel Labib said Monday.
Solar energy units have been installed in many governorates’ administrative offices, such as Cairo, Beheira, and North Sinai. As for the governorate of South Sinai, the Salam Road, which is 8 km long, and four main streets in Sharm El-Sheikh are lit using solar energy, Labib noted.
2,088 villages in Sohag are lit using solar energy, whereas Matruh governorate is using solar energy to light the Salloum landport, Labib noted. Four villages in Assiut governorate are also lighted using solar energy, as well as many desert villages in south Matruh.
Alexandria has started lighting its first residential building using solar energy in the Montazah neighbourhood, amid a process of habilitating 12 buildings for the same purpose, as well as the lighting of 10 schools. Moreover, the Giza governorate has signed a protocol to transform the Nile Street lights to solar energy, Labib added.
The minister also noted that the use of solar energy in lighting provides between 30% and 40% of the total electrical energy used in this sector, which contributes to decreasing the energy subsidy by not less than 15%.
Egypt is recently seeking to expand the use of solar energy in many different sectors, such as irrigation land reclamation, and industries, opening many investment opportunities in this sector in order to decrease the consumption of electrical and fuel energy.
