Vihiga county shifts to green energy

Emanyinya water project with 16 solar panel pieces of 220w each. [Brian Kisanji, Standard]

Vihiga county has embarked on green energy technology for water generation, supply and storage in a project set to tackle diverse effects of climate change and cut cost of electricity.

This is also a major step to prioritise constant supply of clean and reliable piped water to households in the county.

The ambitious renewable energy project targets to achieve clean energy use in pumping of water for domestic and commercial use.

According to Vihiga Governor Wilber Ottichilo, the solarization of water projects will cut on electricity costs and ensure constant supply of clean and safe water while conserving the environment.

"This projects will ensure we go green while also cutting down the cost of pumping the water to institutions and homesteads in our county," said Ottichilo.

Dr Ottichilo said due to constant disconnections of electricity due to pending bills, it was time the county invested in solar energy, which will ensure the sustainability of water supply to the residents.

The governor has constantly urged investment partners to consider investing in solar power as a route to stop over reliance on electricity.

According to Ottichilo, climate change has the potential to impact the hydropower sector through regional changes in rainfall and water availability and protracted drought.

The changes in turn lead to high production cost of electricity, hence the high power bills.

In Vihiga, solar panels had previously been installed in major water supplies at Lunyerere, Kaimosi and Maseno, all of which were pumping water using a solar hybrid system.

Kaimosi has 250 solar panels, 750 panels for Lunyerere and 520 panels for Maseno phase.

However, since 2023, the county has been making strides to ensure other water projects coming up are fully solarized.

The upcoming water projects will ensure the county achieves 100 percent last-mile connectivity and water distribution to over 250,000 households.

These efforts have been made possible through partnerships with development partners and the community.

The ongoing water connection are done under the Climate Change Resilience Investment Projects being implemented under the Vihiga County Climate Change Fund.

At least eight projects are being implemented by County Government of Vihiga under the Vihiga County Solarization of small water supplies Phase one program.

They are the Shikomoli-Kimogoi, Emanyinya, Wandwati, Egogwa, Givole, Ipali-Mmakhondo, and Mudungu Community Water projects.

Another project is the Mugogo Water Project located in the heart of North Maragoli Ward.

The transformative project has taken root, bringing life-changing benefits to the local community. The Mugogo Water Project is fully operating on solar energy providing clean, safe water to homesteads from Mulundu Primary School all the way to Inyali Dispensary and beyond.

The project has been successful, and residents have been able to get a constant supply due to the use of solar energy.

"For years, as residents of this area have struggled with access to clean water, a vital resource that is often taken for granted. Children and families had to walk long distances to fetch water, often from unsafe sources, leading to numerous health issues and lost time that could have been spent on education or economic activities,” said Caleb Mudanya, a resident of Mulundu village.

The projects involve drilling a production borehole, equipping it with a solar pumping unit and elevating a steel tank before last-mile connectivity to institutions and households is done.

For example, at the Emanyinya water project, 16 solar panel pieces of 220 watts each were installed as opposed to high-end electricity pumping machines.

The projects will also involve a component of climate change in environmental conservation through tree growing.