More enterprises and households in Can Tho city are installing solar panels to save energy costs. (Source: VNA)Can Tho (VNS/VNA) - More businesses and householdsin the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho are installing solar panels toreduce monthly electricity costs.
According to the Can Tho Power Company, more than 100customers have installed solar panels with total capacity of nearly 1,100kWh,an increase of 40 customers compared to last year.
The total output of electricity produced by customers andsold back to the Can Tho Power Company amounts to more than 289,500kWh.
Nguyen Van Quang, Director of the Can Tho Power Company,said the city has ten contractors installing solar panels forcustomers.
Information about the technologies used by thesecontractors is published openly so customers can choose the rightcontractors.
Le Van Tin, in Ninh Kieu district, said that hehas recently installed 14 solar panels on a total area of 28sq.mwith total cost for panels and installation being 80 million VND(3,400 USD).
The 14 panels produce 25kWh per day, but Tin's household’suse is only 10kWh per day. The excess of 15kWh is sold to the powercompany, he said.
With sales to the power company, Tin believed he willrecover his investment in four years.
Many enterprises in Can Tho city have also installed solarpanels.
The Ninh Kieu Riverside Hotel has installed solar panelswith total capacity of 78kWh per day.
Le Trong Nhan, deputy director of the hotel, said theinstallation of solar panels has helped the hotel reduce electricitycosts.
Nguyen Minh Toai, Director of the municipal Department of Industryand Trade, said the department has directed the centre ofindustrial promotion and energy savings to work with the Can Tho PowerCompany to help businesses and households install solar panels.
The department has also directed these units to beresponsible for control of equipment quality and installationof two-way electricity metres for customers.
The solar panels occupy a small area and theinvestment is not too high, so it is suited for families and enterprises,Toai said
According to the Green Innovation and DevelopmentCentre, Can Tho has the potential to produce solar power to meet 46 to 70 percentof local electricity demand.
The centre's research found that Can Tho canproduce up to 1.5TWh of electricity per year.
If the city uses agricultural land to install solar panelswhen no crops are being grown, the actual capacity will increase to 10.5-16TWhper year, it said.
This electricity output goes far beyond the city's electricitydemands, so the city can provide electricity for neighbouring provinces to use.
In addition, the installation of solar panels onfarmland could help farmers reduce energy costs and have moreincome.-VNS/VNA
VNA
