Private Investments in Solar (PV) increase in Mwanza region

Distribution of awareness creation packages and dissemination of information to the private sector has increased responsiveness of entrepreneurs working in the PV sector who are currently investing more and more in the businesses of PV systems, components and applications.

Following increased TV signal reception,
PV is now paying a great in off-grid areas.

The increased awareness of the PV’s potential role is also reflected in the emerging new businesses in Mwanza City and district towns that have started mainly by stocking some components including solar modules and other accessories.

During year 2006 the Project conducted three activities to strengthen the business development services including the awareness creation on PV systems, applications and product lines among existing businesses in the towns and villages of Mwanza.

In the same fiscal year the Project supported the Tanzania Solar Energy Association (TASEA) to facilitate networking among technicians, dealers and suppliers to strengthen collaboration, partnership and cooperation being another activity to strengthen the private sector.

TASEA organized the National Solar Energy Day in Dar es Salaam from 22nd to 23rd June 2006 during which the project’s achievements were presented and discussed. The Project Manager Dr.H.Waldi chaired one of the sessions on PV financing and the Project Coordinator Mr. Musa Mzumbe participated in the workshop and the general meeting of TASEA.

Within this activity and to strengthen the local TASEA through initiating activities and involving technicians trained by the Project, the project contracted TASEA to undertake the task of conducting both the first and second monitoring surveys in December 2005-January 2006 and June-July 2006.

The objective of these surveys was to evaluate the impact of different project activities and that of the installed PV systems in the region. A third complimentary survey is now being conducted by TASEA.

The third activity implemented in 2006 to support the private sector was to study and discuss alternative service delivery modes and roles various stakeholders in the provision of electricity services.

A team of 3 experts were contracted through TASEA, who prepared a study on PV electricity services delivery modes and roles of various stakeholders.

A one day workshop was organized (22/08/06) to discuss the findings of the study on PV electricity services delivery modes and roles of various stakeholders. It was attended by the PV dealers in the region, representatives of two banks (CRDB and NBC), SACCOS, local TASEA, and a number of regional officers beside the project team.

The main findings of this study are planned to be presented in a one day workshop on the role of PV in rural electrification, proposed to be held in February 2007 in cooperation with the Rural Electrification Unit of Tanzania Electricity Supply Corporation (TANESCO).
The Project’s immediate objective is to strengthen and support the private sector to provide better quality of service and to develop model for providing PV-based electricity services to the rural areas.