Hilora village harnesses solar energy to overcome power outages

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Hilora village, located in the Shiladze district of the Amedi area in Duhok province, has successfully generated electricity from solar energy, according to the village head.

"Our village does not have a generator, so we have produced electricity from solar energy,” stated Abdullah Sadiq, the Mukhtar (headman) of Hilora village.

On Sunday, Sadiq told Kurdistan24, “Our village does not have an electricity generator, and we only have access to the national grid. When there is an outage from the national grid, we remain without electricity. To address this, we raised money collectively from each household to purchase solar panels. Now, with these panels, we can fill the energy gaps caused by power outages from the national grid.”

Sadiq explained that the initiative to generate solar electricity was his idea, and with assistance from an individual from Mergasur, the installation was completed. “About 70 percent of the villagers have benefited from the electricity,” he said.

“There are more than 60 households in our village, and electricity is produced according to their demands. For example, some households have requested 10 amps, while others have requested between 5 and 20 amps,” he detailed.

Sadiq highlighted the advantages of solar electricity over generators, stating, "Solar electricity is much better than generators; it does not pollute the environment, there is no noise, and it provides continuous, uninterrupted power."

He added that several surrounding villages have also adopted this method of electricity generation and rely on solar power.

"The quality of electricity is very good, which has led these villages to depend on solar panels for their electricity needs. This project was entirely funded by the villagers collectively, with no external incentives or financial aid,” Sadiq concluded.