Ambitious solar plan in Peru to provide electricity to households

Peru has begun an ambitious solar plan to ensure electricity reaches those who need it most. The local poor households will be provided with solar panels where there is lack of power grid supply.

The National Photovoltaic Household Electrification Program will benefit more than 2 million people in Peru, Energy and Mining Minister Jorge Merino said.

Solar PV (photovoltaics) can convert sunlight directly into electricity by utilizing the photoelectric effect. Solar cells produce direct current electricity from light, which can be used to power equipment or to recharge a battery. When more power is needed, cells can be electrically connected together to form photovoltaic modules, or solar panels.

Some of the advantages of using solar panels are-

• PV cells are comparatively light and have no moving parts and therefore require almost zero maintenance.
• They have a long life, high durability and low operating costs.
• A PV system can be constructed to virtually any size based on requirements. A user can easily add more if his requirements change.

The program will cost around $200 million and will provide access to electricity for 95% or Peru by the year 2016.

The National Photovoltaic Household Electrification Program will cost about $200 million, Merino said.

Reference and further reading-

Laht.com

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