- People in rebel-held Syria are turning to Solar to provide for their energy needs.
- Fuel shortages and price hike has made solar a cheaper and efficient alternative.
According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), about 90 per cent of people in Syria lack access to stable electricity. In rebel-held areas, there is almost no state-provided electricity. In these areas, electricity is self-generated often from diesel-powered generators; however, fuel shortages and hikes in fuel prices are seeing more people switch to solar power as a cheaper, more efficient and reliable alternative.
Across these regions, solar panels have become a common occurrence on roofs, in hospitals or between tents in massive displacement camps. A survey in the Education and Conflict Review revealed that about eight per cent of people use solar as the major source of power in their homes in places under rebel control. According to the report, 10 per cent of solar users use it for heating water, about 33 per cent as a secondary source of power, for lighting and charging batteries.
In Dana, one solar panel salesman noted that sales increased by 300 per cent between 2018 and 202, with most of his customers being farmers with a single project requiring between 100 to 500 panels. Solar imports are mainly from Turkey, but panels from Germany and China are also available.