26 APRIL 2011 | NURISTAN PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN

 

Located in northeastern Afghanistan, Nuristan Province is one of the poorest and most remote provinces in the country.  Few non-government organizations operate there because of poor security and the lack of infrastructure.  The province is unconnected to the national grid.

 

Nuristan’s situation has been improving lately, thanks to the efforts of working with local leaders to promote regional stabilization and to bring needed and sustained improvements to their communities.

 

The provincial reconstruction team located in western Nuristan Province recently collaborated with elders in the nearby village of Nangaresh to bring about the installation of a 15 kW solar electric system to provide lights and electric current for three schools and a proposed educational center in the community.

 

The solar facilities consist of 111 south-facing photovoltaic modules, plus a bank of two dozen deep-cycle batteries and three 5 kW inverters housed in a protective container – all located on the grounds of the girls’ school.  Distribution cables transmit power to the other two schools and the site of the proposed educational center.  Eight state-of-the-art solar-powered streetlights have also been installed in the schoolyards and at the nearby roadway.

 

Where before, classrooms relied on natural light, each classroom now has an energy-efficient, compact fluorescent light fixture and an electric outlet.  The system also produces round-the-clock power for the schools’ administrative offices and students’ computer labs.  The 15 kW of solar power is enough for all four schools and allows room for additional demand growth.  The district educational authority, with technical help from the local community, is responsible for the system’s long-term maintenance and sustainability.

 

Fakhria Mukhtar, a third-year student in the girls’ high school, appreciates the improvement.  “On dark winter days,” she said, “the lights brighten our classrooms and make it easier to follow the lessons and read our books.”

 

The new system was funded and installed through a USAID initiative that promotes the use of renewable energy sources around the country.