It took a generous donation, a few energy audits, months of planning & preparing, and the nonstop work of four talented Tanzanian technicians over a four day stretch….but alas, it has arrived!

Through our partnership with Solar Aid International, and a generous contribution from the Lipps Family, HOCET Secondary School  is now totally powered by the sun: boys & girls dormitories, all teachers cottages, our kitchen, our bathrooms, our classrooms — even the chicken coop!

All said and done, Solar Aid helped plan and install 8 separate solar systems, with a total of 26 solar panels distributed throughout the HSS campus, providing a total of around just under 1,400 watts of energy– enough to supply all of our lighting, phone-charging, and computer lab needs!

While the students (and teachers) have been eagerly anticipating the installation for weeks, they didn’t just sit idle while the technicians did their work. Some helped with the electrical wiring, some dug trenches for underground cabling, and others spent hours trying to learn the intricacies of solar technology from the team of technicians.

The school-wide solar system will have an enormous impact on our school community.  Students will have significantly more study time under bright, energy-efficient lights every night; the use of educational technologies, including computers, media resources, and other tech-based tools will help enrich our educational programming.  Given HSS’s remote location, solar power makes HSS a more attractive place to live and work for our teachers.   In just a few days time, we’ve already observed that the school community is much happier and more productive after the sun sets over the grassy plains of Shungubweni in Mkuranga, Tanzania.

Our heartfelt thanks goes to the Lipps Family for their generous project sponsorship; to Solar Aid International for their help and partnership; and to ENSOL for their technicians and installation support.  We are so thrilled to announce that our solar systems are up & running!