Venezuela Takes Steps Towards Solar Energy

Caracas, November 29, 2006 (Venezuelanalysis.com)—Highlighting one of the first initiatives of the recently launched Mission Energy Revolution, 73 new solar-powered lamp posts where installed last week along Bolivar Avenue in downtown Caracas. Venezuela has plans to multiply the pilot project around the country.

“Can you see these structures all along Bolivar Avenue?” President Hugo Chavez asked hundreds of thousands of his supporters on Sunday, from the stage on the Western side of the avenue. “Above, they have two panels, they are solar energy cells, or better said, cells to capture the energy of the sun. They accumulate the energy throughout the day, and with that we are illuminating Bolivar Avenue at night.

Chavez announced that he saw the solar panel project in action when he was in Vietnam and ordered Energy and Petroleum Minister, Rafael Ramirez to set it up in Venezuela.

According to Chavez, in an effort to multiply the pilot project around the country, the Vietnamese are going to help Venezuela set up a solar panel manufacturing plant.

“We are going to install these solar energy structures, in the Avenues, in the streets and public places throughout Venezuela, in order to save oil!” Chavez called to boisterous applause. “In order to save fuel and to give an example about how you can use the energy of the sun. What a natural, clean, renewable energy, in order to produce electric energy. This is just one example of things that we are beginning to do.”

“Do you think that this would have been possible to do in the past when Venezuela was a North American colony?” he added.

An electrical cable connects each 400-volt lamp to the grid in case of emergencies, or lack of power. According to Ultimas Noticias, the Energy Ministry hopes that this particular initiative will also cut down on the common occurrence of electrical cable robbery from the country’s lampposts, for the resale of the used copper wires.

The solar initiative is part of the new Energy Revolution Mission, which was launched on November 17th in the Venezuelan state of Nueva Esparta, with the goal of changing 52 million light bulbs across the country for energy-savers.

Venezuela plans to finish phase one of the light bulb exchange program by the end of December, when they plan to have changed 17 million bulbs in six states. Telesur reported recently that according to Energy Minister Ramirez, Venezuelan energy consumption grew by 9% over the last year alone.