Botswana Starts First Agrivoltaic Project to Harness Solar Energy

Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN) has launched a first-of-its-kind renewable energy project. The project has been developed in cooperation between the University and the private sector, after being prepared more than a year.

Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources launched an agrivoltaic project – a 1-megawatt solar plant that provides the university and the national grid with power throughout the day.

According to the project feasibility assessment, the BUAN’s electricity bill will drop by more than 50 percent in the medium term, while excess energy will flow to the national network.

BUAN cultivates horticultural products (vegetables and fruits) under solar panels to maximize land use. The panels are equipped with control motors that allow them to track the sun's movement, reduce ground moisture loss and protect crops during intense summer heats.

Vice President Slumber Tsogwane said at the launch ceremony that the facility starts to operate two years after the development of the Integrated Electricity Resource Plan for Botswana, which is aimed at boosting the country's renewables development.

"As a government, we made a commitment to embark on a process of moving away from our carbon-intensive modes of energy generation, as thus, Integrated Electricity Resource Plan stipulates that at least 15 percent of the electricity should come from renewable energy by 2036," said Tsogwane.

The project was financed and implemented alongside the private sector with funds raised from international financiers for a total of 15 million Botswana Pula (around $1.1 million).

According to BUAN Vice Chancellor Ketlhatlogile Mosepele, the university has shown that academic institutions and private enterprises can both promote research, as well as bring financial benefits.

The whole construction comes on a land plot of 8000 square meters and began in December 2021. It was completed in August 2022.