From 26 April to 5 May, four students from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) travelled to Tsumkwe, Otjozondjupa Region with Abraham Hangula and Clarence Mazambani. They performed a socio-economic evaluation of effects of the Tsumkwe Energy Project, the largest solar-diesel hybrid system in Southern Africa. The Tsumkwe Energy Project, which was inaugurated in January 2012, provides 24-hour electricity to residents and businesses in Tsumkwe through an off-grid system.
The team interviewed residents, public officials, business owners, and public service providers to determine changes to the lives and livelihoods of residents. The team conducted 73 interviews, focusing on residents both with and without electricity and received positive feedback about the new system’s impacts on their lives. Their study is entitled “Socioeconomic Impact Evaluation of the Solar-Diesel Hybrid Energy System in Tsumkwe, Namibia” and will be available on the Worcester Polytechnic Institute website.
For more information contact Abraham Hangula
