Midsummer supports project in Zimbabwe
Installation will help test performance of CIGS thin film solar cells in sun-soaked area at high altitude near the equator
Swedish CIGS solar energy firm Midsummer is supporting a charity school project in the rural Matopos area of southern Zimbabwe. In cooperation with the Paul & Eszter Karaszi Education Foundation, Midsummer will equip a new computer centre and library at the White Water secondary school with an entire state-of-the-art off-grid solar energy system.
“We have looked to initiate a CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) project for a while and now found this Zimbabwe school project that suits us perfectly and that we will support for the long haul,”, said Sven Lindström, CEO, Midsummer. “We get the opportunity to donate an entire expandable solar energy system to support education in a poor rural area in Africa and with the confidence that the project is run very professionally by the Karaszi Foundation.”
“In addition, we can use the installation to test and measure the performance of the system and our CIGS thin film solar cells in a sun-soaked area at high altitude near the equator, and to what extent it may efficiently power not only the computer hall but also other school buildings – the school is completely off-grid. Our light weight and flexible thin film solar panels are ideal for the relatively weak roof structures that are common in developing regions.”
The computer centre and library will be a brand new 100 sqm school building, financed and constructed by the Karaszi Foundation. It has room for up to 40 students, a dozen teachers and will be equipped with 30 laptops and satellite Internet communications, all powered by the modern solar energy system, complete with 47 panels, inverters and batteries, donated by Midsummer. The panels have been manufactured at Midsummer’s factory in Sweden and are on route to southern Africa.
“I am happy to team up with Midsummer and its expertise to power the new computer hall with 100 percent green energy,”, said Peter Karaszi, Founder of the Paul & Eszter Karaszi Education Foundation. “The foundation is looking for the very best partners for our projects to be able to deliver top notch solutions for the selected schools that we decide to support.”
The Karaszi Foundation is a small privately-run non-profit organization that plans, coordinates and executes school projects for underprivileged children in Africa. It invests 100 percent of donations in the projects, without any administrative costs whatsoever, and accepts donations from private citizens, companies and institutions.
