Hanwha SolarOne Co., Ltd, a global provider of PV modules, announced that it has donated solar modules to the Karume Institute of Science and Technology in Zanzibar, Tanzania for a 75 kW rooftop installation, which was officially inaugurated on January 13, 2014. The installation serves a dual purpose: while ensuring the Institute with clean energy, the students will also be educated in the planning and installation of local solar energy facilities.

The solar project was initiated by the NGO Connecting Continents e.v, based in Kirchroth, Germany. PV project developer GSW Gold SolarWind Management GmbH, also based in Kirchroth, donated their support to the project by planning and installing the solar panels. Through extensive preparations and support from local partner Sele Rashid, GSW was able to successfully complete the installation within a few weeks.

The educational aspect of the project has been important to all parties involved. "This is the first PV facility of this scale to be connected to the grid in Zanzibar, and we are very proud to host it on our campus," said Haji Abdulhamid, Director of the Karume Institute of Science and Technology. "In addition to producing clean energy, the installation will be used to educate our students in renewable energy generation. We believe that this is crucial to pursuing solar energy locally and securing sustainable business activity."

The PV installation is registered under a net-metering scheme: During the day, excess energy is fed into the grid of the local utilities company Zanzibar Electricity Corporation (ZECO), which contributes to grid stabilization.

Maengyoon Kim, Managing Director of Hanwha SolarOne GmbH commented, “To date, we have donated PV modules to several educational institutions, including the Yuyangguan Town Hope Primary School in Wufeng County, China, and the Osterbek School in Hamburg, Germany. In our experience, pupils and students are eager to learn more about renewable energy technologies, which signals a bright future for us all."