BALA, Uganda, May 28, 2024 – A new solar microgrid promises to improve legal and municipal services in rural Uganda. The "Justice Microgrid," a 14.25-kilowatt photovoltaic (PV) system located in Bala, provides power for a legal support center, local government buildings, and community spaces. The Contact online >>
BALA, Uganda, May 28, 2024 – A new solar microgrid promises to improve legal and municipal services in rural Uganda. The "Justice Microgrid," a 14.25-kilowatt photovoltaic (PV) system located in Bala, provides power for a legal support center, local government buildings, and community spaces. The pilot project, a partnership between the Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF) and BarefootLaw, aims to foster a more accessible and equitable justice ecosystem using clean, distributed energy.
Despite being connected to the national electric grid, Bala experiences frequent, often weeks-long power outages. This became a problem for BarefootLaw, a Uganda-based legal justice nonprofit. Their BarefootLaw Box (LawBox)—a community center in which people can receive free legal support—was established in 2022. Its reliance on computers, internet, and video conferencing meant that when the power went out, services also ceased.
BarefootLaw reached out to SELF for a solution. SELF developed a solar-powered microgrid for the LawBox and expanded the system to meet other legal and municipal needs.
"You can have an incredible resource like the LawBox, but without reliable power, it doesn''t matter," says Robert Freling, SELF''s executive director. "Unreliable grids are all too common in these rural communities, and it obstructs access to crucial services. It''s a major problem, but fortunately, it''s one we can solve."
The microgrid provides power for lights, computers, internet, device charging, printing, and more. Staff can now serve more people with better resources, and keep their doors open through local blackouts.
"It is very important to have constant power at the LawBox," says Midi Awor, a Bala resident who received legal help after her livestock were stolen. "Whenever I come, I can easily be connected to a lawyer in Kampala using a television."
The microgrid also provides power for the courts, town council, police station, and community development office. In addition, solar streetlighting has been installed to improve safety and extend the hours available for commerce and community gatherings. All of this aims to create a more collaborative, transparent, and inclusive justice process.
"People can now tell their stories. Town officials are listening and have the resources to make change. There is support and collaboration," says Gerald Abila, founder of BarefootLaw. "Change is possible, and Bala is the blueprint."
The Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF) is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that uses solar energy to fight poverty and climate change. Since its founding in 1990, SELF has worked in dozens of countries, bringing clean energy where it''s needed most. Whether powering schools in South Africa, or health clinics in Haiti, SELF uses the power of the sun to drive lasting change. Learn more at:
BarefootLaw is a nonprofit organisation, which uses technology and innovation to bridge the gap between people and justice. The organisation was founded in 2013 and has since provided simplified legal information and guidance to remote communities in Uganda, Malawi and Kenya through technology-enabled legal support and recently via "The BarefootLaw Box" – mobile offices and mediation centres. Through tools such as SMS, toll-free numbers, and AI-powered systems, BarefootLaw''s efforts attract people, especially women, in rural areas and youth in urban and semi-urban areas.
BarefootLaw believes that if the law is made more readily available, people will use it to peacefully prevent and resolve their problems, leading to better livelihoods for themselves and their communities. Learn more at:
Today, the Belgian renewable energy company Tiger Power signs an agreement with the Ugandan government to power 3000 rural households and businesses in Kyenjojo. Currently, three communities lack access to electricity. By mid-2019 this will change. Tiger Power is building a solar power plant in each village backed up by on-site hydrogen production and storage. The technology keeps a black-out from happening and supplies electricity to the community, pollution- and fuel free.
The three villages in Kyenjojo will be powered by Tiger Power''s propriety system "Sunfold" which is a complete solar power solution, including a storage system (battery/hydrogen). This allows households to watch television, schools to open early and later in the day, health centres to provide round the clock services and the miller to continue to work during evening hours.
“We are very proud to bring this solar-hydrogen technology to Uganda. When the Sunfold generates insufficient power during cloudy days, the hydrogen generator takes over. Thanks to our technology, the Kyenjojo communities will never experience any black-out", explains Jonathan Lambregs, Tiger Power''s Business Development Manager East Africa.
Hydrogen is the most known element in the world. "We use the surplus of solar electricity during the day to produce hydrogen. The electricity causes an electro-chemical reaction separating H20 (water) into H (hydrogen) and O (oxygen). The hydrogen gas is stored and turned into electricity when needed. In this way we can power the community without the use of a diesel generator. This means completely pollution free electricity." explains Chris Prengels, CEO of Tiger Power.
The Ugandan Rural Electrification Agency is supporting these projects by building the distribution network to transmit the electricity to households and businesses. “The Ugandan government plans to supply 26% of its rural residents with electrical power by 2022. Currently only 10% have access to electricity in rural communities”, says Godfrey Turyahikayo, CEO of the Rural Electrification Agency of Uganda. “Partners like Tiger Power and the University of Southampton are of great help to realise our objectives”.
The development of these 3 mini-grids accelerates Tiger Power''s mission to build 200 mini-grids across the East African region. The company is well on its way to reach this goal. "We have recently been shortlisted in a tender to build 25 mini-grids in Lamwo, Uganda. In Rwanda, Tiger Power plans to develop 30 mini-grids of which the first two will be commissioned in 2019. These projects will allow us to open up a workshop to provide jobs to Ugandans. Being able to contribute to the Ugandan economy makes us proud", says Jonathan Lambregs, Tiger Power''s Business Development Manager East Africa.
This world first project is supported by the Belgian government agency Finexpo. “We are glad to supports Tiger Power in exporting their solar and hydrogen solution to Uganda. This will help them to extent their business and provide needed jobs and development in Uganda”, says Joeri Colson, Attaché at Finexpo.
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