Solar power pays off for enterprising Palestinians
Palestinians are installing mini solar stations at home to produce electricity at affordable prices.
RAMALLAH, West Bank — Three years ago, Rabia al-Rabi stopped purchasing electricity from the Jerusalem Electricity Company, the official power provider in the city of Ramallah.
The Palestinian woman actually started selling electricity to the very same company for 800 shekels (about $200) per month after she started a renewable energy generation project at her home.
Rabi had carefully studied the economic feasibility of the project. Despite the high cost of installing the solar cells, she decided to run the risk and make her house one of the first in Ramallah to generate electricity from solar energy.
Solar cells are installed on rooftops, where the sun’s rays are picked up and converted into electricity. An electric reflector is used to convert solar energy into electricity ready to be used at home.
