BITRI unveils solar lamps assembly plant

Lebogang Baingapi | Tuesday August 16, 2016 15:30

 

The lamps, which use sunlight rays, are expected  to ease power demand while reducing supply costs. BITRI, which came to existence as a result of the dissolution of the Botswana Technology Centre (BOTEC) and the Rural Industries Promotions Company (RIPCO), hosted a media briefing and a tour of Seding Solar Light facilities in Kanye last week to demonstrate how the street lamps are assembled. 

According to BITRI, the street lamps will provide a solution to high consumption of electricity and high power bills as well as lighting up rural villages and settlements where the Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) has not reached.

The lamp is said to be energy saving as it is equiped with motion detection sensors which only lights when it senses  movement within a seven metre radius.

Explaining how it works, BITRI chief executive officer, Professor Nelson Torto said the solar panel will convert sunlight to electrical energy to produce enough light that lasts for three days before charging.

He said the lamp has a life span of 25 years and that although they are working on reducing the production cost to ultimately reduce the selling price, currently the cost remains at P5,000 per unit.

He said the streetlight uses an environmentally friendly battery and components of Wi-Fi connectivity and security capability will be incorporated. “Basically security system will transmit images that will have been triggered by movement through the motion sensor,” he said. Torto said they had good feedback from the rural settlement where they invented the streetlight, noting however that there were queries that the lights are not much brighter, which he said they are working on.

He said currently their production stands at 150 units per week, adding that if the demand increases, they will work on shifts to do 300 units per week.

He further mentioned that they will also consider doing the lamp for household purposes and reduce cost by sourcing materials of the same quality locally. Torto also highlighted that they intend to impact all sectors of the economy through technology.

Meanwhile, the government and Debswana have funded BITRI’s drive to equip the best instruments for their laboratories for the purpose of research on coal.

“We have done exceptionally well in partnerships and collaboration with farmers, village residents, industries, research organisations and academic institutions both in Botswana  as well as internationally,” said Torto.

BITRI in collaboration with the Botswana Vaccine Institute (BVI) has advanced their efforts towards the production of a Foot and Mouth detection kit which will be able to detect the disease between 20 and 25 minutes in an animal and will also assist in managing the disease. Furthermore, BITRI has developed an ICT programme where graduates spend two years with the institution for them to go through training, retooling and enhance their capability to be employers.

Currently they have 57 associates who are evenly distributed to their Palapye, Gaborone and Kanye branches.