Solar home systems in Botswana—Opportunities and constraints

Abstract

Lack of access to electricity grid form the main challenge facing majority of developing regions particularly in rural communities. The situation is driven mostly by the absence of electricity infrastructure in most of the developing countries particularly in rural communities. A number of developing countries are now encouraging the use of solar home systems in isolated areas. Botswana is not immune to this trend. Consequently, available evidence puts the overall contribution of solar energy to primary energy supply in Botswana to less than 1%. A plethora of factors are responsible for inhibiting rapid development of solar home systems in isolated areas in Botswana. Some major impediments often cited as causing low use of solar home systems by rural communities in Botswana include, among others, the following: (i) Low-income status of most rural inhabitants. (ii) Migration of house-owners from village status to lands, or cattle posts. This paper, therefore, analyses factors that impede the rapid development of photovoltaics power generation systems in rural environments in Botswana. The analysis is based on photovoltaic power generation pilot project which was carried out in three (3) villages in Botswana, namely Kudumatse, Lorolwana and Motlhabaneng.