Original link: http://middleeastobserver.net/video-how-afghans-are-using-solar-energy-as-alternative-to-unreliable-state-supplied-electricity/
Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATsd-jJRQX0
Description:
A short video report by Al Jazeera Arabic on how Afghans, especially in the sunny southern regions of Afghanistan, are increasingly resorting to solar power to help cover up for severe shortfalls in the government electricity network.
Source: Al Jazeera Channel (YouTube)
Date: December 29, 2021
(Please help MEO keep producing independent translations for you by contributing a sustainable monthly amount https://www.patreon.com/MiddleEastObserver
Transcript:
Reporter:
Pumping water from underground is no longer costly in southern Afghanistan. These farmers have found in solar energy an alternative to fuel-powered electricity generators. They need no more than this unit of solar panels to save large swaths of agricultural lands from desertification, with installation costs estimated at around 2,000 USD.
Mohammad Nassir, Afghani Farmer:
If we were not able to obtain solar energy the land would have become arid, because irrigation via fuel-powered generators is very expensive. Now we no longer need to pay any additional operating costs.
Reporter:
These technicians are finishing the process of launching a domestic solar energy unit. They say they have installed thousands of similar units in the past five years alone, and that around 80% of the residents of Kandahar now depend on solar energy either totally or to replace the (shortages of the) government (electricity) network that is barely functioning.
Ahmad Diaa Abdali, Electricity Technician:
The capacity of this unit is 20 kilowatts. However, due to financial difficulties people (usually) use units that produce 1-5 kilowatts with the aim of operating the main electric devices at home only.
Reporter:
Investing in solar energy is promising, according to energy experts, given the availability of sun exposure in southern Afghanistan, which amounts to more than 300 days a year. Turkish and Indian companies have benefitted from this (favorable climate) to help the government (electricity) network that relies on hydroelectric and thermal energy sources.
Jaafar Ahmed, Manager of a Solar Energy Plant:
We are depending now on foreign investment in the field of solar energy. I expect that local investors will pursue (solar energy) when they are aware of (its) importance because solar energy is the future of energy.
Reporter:
Round-the-clock lighting at almost zero operating costs. A dream come true in the streets of Kandahar which uses sunlight obtained during the day, to light up its streets at night. Solar energy becomes a vital alternative to the government electricity network.
Perhaps many Afghans were not aware of the importance of sustainable energy in the past. However, deprivation has turned Afghanistan within years into one of the most prominent countries relying on solar energy.
Samer Allawi, Al Jazeera, Kandahar
And if you really use your noggin, (not allowed in the west) you can pump and store unused water to create more electricity when the sun don’t shine with a water generator.
Do they use wind pumps?
Far as I can figure, no. It is most probably a small well pump, probably .5 HP that works with a solar panel and probably a battery to store some power. These can be easily put in kits with everything necessary. Water is most probably pumped to a high tank or more than one, and from there most probably gravity fed to the fields. Simple but cheap and effective. In fact, we have one like it, but no battery as we have a solar installation separate. (A thing of avoiding single points of failure to the whole system).
Geez .. just go and watch the first part of the video. I was right lol.
The second part is street lighting.
$1 Trillion bucks of solar panels could have saved 20 years of killing, but then again that was not the point of the Trillion bucks recycling programme. What would a Trillion bucks of milk and honey and bread and butter get you in North Africa and the Middle East…but I digress, off topic and off with the birds.
What we really need is over the horizon, freedom bombs to smash the panels then buy stolen oil from Syria and invest in Greta credits.
@Ronnie: “$1 Trillion bucks of solar panels”.
1 Trillion is 1,000,000 Million. If Afghans are installing solar panels at $2,000 apiece (as quoted above) that would have bought them 500 Million solar panels; about a dozen for every man, woman and child in Afghanistan.
“Where has all the money gone?” — (with apologies to Pete Seeger)
Reminds me of fifty years ago when people in sunny countries began to install solar water heaters.
“When something is useful it spreads day by day from house to house. When it is both scientific and useful it becomes unstoppable.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 18th century German scientist
A. Deplorable Flyover.
As a card carrying deplorable old bastard myself…this is the answer to why Wolfie is ignored….
Its all a domestic argument. There are no fixed boundaries, no fixed rules & somethings said in the past never forgotten. Let’s talk and then screaming hysterics is American Foreign policy, always has been. Look at all the appointments to the “Secretary of State.” LOL
They lie, they cheat and they steal. Its all out in the open cause they are proud of it. You die of cancer before you reach retirement age. No pensions = no national debt. (Note: this will not apply to extremely rich creatures and their dumb kids.)
Hope President Camel Nose steps up to the plate soon. I wanna watch the first successful launch of hypersonic sonic FED Debt missile from a B52.
This is off-topic – any further comments will go to trash. Mod.
All well and good, however, as others have found, this may deplete the local water table.
If the wells have to go deeper and deeper, may be time to pause.
Alternate technologies – harvest humidity from the air ( even in the desert )
The humidity is condensated in the earth.
https://news.mit.edu/2018/field-tests-device-harvests-water-desert-air-0322