Sustainable Energy Services Afghanistan (SESA)

Sayed Karam Solar PV Project

The Sayed Karam Solar PV Project was commissioned by the Gardez Provincial Reconstruction Team to provide electricity to four villages in Sayed Karam, a remote community in Gardez, Afghanistan.

The project included a 100-kW solar PV and inverter system, with a 250-kW diesel backup unit, a 14-km long 20-kV transmission and distribution line, and a prepaid metering electricity system.

Before the project, the communities relied solely on diesel generators for basic lighting. However, since there was no organized approach to collect funds to pay for fuel, the operating costs rapidly (within weeks) became prohibitive and the generators became unusable the by communities.

As a solution, SESA introduced prepaid electricity metering to ensure that the community-based organization (CBO), which manages the system, receives the income needed for individual consumers to pay for ongoing maintenance and support.

Part of the assistance SESA provided was to help the community Shura to formally register the CBO, open a bank account, and organize project finances to allow long-term management, maintenance and operation of their power system.

SESA continues to provide training and community management coordination and project support. Spare parts and key equipment are held by SESA in Kabul to allow rapid support for the project indefinitely.