Electricity and Water Affairs Minister Dr. Abdulhussain Mirza yesterday unveiled the first ever 'solar home' in Bahrain, which is connected to the governmental electricity network through a Net Metering system.
The system was approved by the Council of Ministers, headed by His Royal Highness the Prime Minister, in January after it was earlier passed by the Coordinating Committee under the chairmanship of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister.
The 'solar home' belongs to Hussein Sanad of Al Mussala area in Jidhafs and it was unveiled in the presence of officials of the Ministry of Oil, the Ministry of Housing, Tatweer Petroleum, the Electricity and Water Authority (EWA), the Sustainable Energy Unit and the project contractor.
Capital Governor Sheikh Hesham bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa was also present along with senior officials. Those attending were briefed on what has been accomplished as part of the BD3,500 project, which has been completed by installing 24 solar panels, producing 7.8 kW of electricity. This translates to a total capacity of 12,500 units per year and is a third of the annual consumption by the household.
The minister said this and other renewable energy projects had been implemented as part of the directives of His Majesty the King, His Royal Highness the Prime Minister and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, the Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister.
He said the project was completed in two phases. The first was the EWA completing all official procedures in reviewing engineering details of various components and ensuring they complied with all technical and design requirements according to existing laws and regulations, while the second phase consisted of the actual construction.
The house is the first to be connected to the government network with a Net Metering system that allows individuals and establishments to install and use solar energy in their homes or facilities safely, thus saving substantially on monthly utility bills.
Dr. Mirza said experts and specialists from the Sustainable Energy Unit are willing to assist individuals and institutions who wishing to install such systems. He said the cost of power produced in this way is much lower than conventional energy.
He said the EWA would continue to find alternatives to increasing efficiency of energy use and its economic feasibility through financing facilities by banks.
He said steps are being taken to install such systems on the roofs of industrial companies and government buildings such as schools, hospitals and health centers to maximize the use of solar energy.
Dr. Mirza thanked and expressed gratitude to His Majesty the King, His Royal Highness the Prime Minister and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, the Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister for their continuous guidance and unlimited support for the electricity, water and renewable energy sector.
The minister also thanked Oil Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa; Housing Minister Bassem bin Yaqoub Al-Hamer; the officials of the Sustainable Energy Unit and all those who cooperated and worked on this pilot project.
He also thanked the house owner for the warm reception and generous hospitality.