Solar power panels and wind turbines for Namibia 

COWI has signed a Danida-financed Technical Assistance contract to develop off-grid energy systems which can produce energy independently of external supply.

Simple technology

"The project focuses on the use of simple technology, mainly solar and wind power. The energy systems must be easy to maintain and sustainable in relation to the environment and the users," explains René Maillet from COWI, who is responsible for the technical aspects of the project.

Namibia is a country in southern Africa and has 1.8 million inhabitants. Large areas of the country are desert.

Energy consultancy

The project also concentrates on initiatives which can save energy in connection with house building, for example, the use of material which can keep the house warm in the winter and cool in the summer. These are initiatives which the whole country - not least the government - should embrace.

Partners

In Namibia, COWI is working together with the Gobabeb Training and Research Centre (GTRC), which specialises in environmental questions in deserts.

International donor organisations such as the World Bank increasingly focus on the use of off-grid energy systems. The goal is to increase access to energy in the rural communities and thus contribute to poverty alleviation.

The project has just started and will be running for the next 21 months.

Published 12.11.2002