Solar power with grid backup in Congo

Is a solar minigrid in Goma a beacon of Hope?

A solar minigrid in a Goma neighborhood where almost everyone lacked access to electricity just five years ago offers a flicker of hope despite widespread poverty and the city’s violent takeover by Congolese rebels early this year. (AP Video by Justin Kabumba. Produced by Julián Trejo Bax)

Where is a solar farm in Congo?

A solar farm operates on May 23, 2025, in Bulengo, a neighborhood near Goma, Congo. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa) GOMA, Congo (AP) — Street lights erase the shadows where attackers once hid. Noisy, polluting diesel generators have gone silent. New businesses are taking root.

Is a small Solar Network a good idea in Goma?

New businesses are taking root. In several Goma neighborhoods where almost nobody had electricity just five years ago, a small solar network is offering a flicker of hope despite widespread poverty and the city’s violent takeover by Congolese rebels early this year.

Why did Nuru keep a solar farm in Goma?

Katembo Waziwazi, a Nuru technician, walks through a solar farm in Goma, Congo, Goma May 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa) Nuru’s electricity kept flowing while power in other areas went down, a fact Shaw believes testifies to its importance to residents, who he said guarded the solar farm’s gates to ensure nobody looted or destroyed the panels.