Publications

Survey of Energy Resources 2007

Solar Country Notes

Botswana
Despite Botswana's high rate of solar insolation, the country's available resource has been under-utilised in the past, being mainly used for powering telecommunication systems, water pumping, etc.

The National Photovoltaic Rural Electrification Programme, funded by the Government, ran from 1997 until 2001. From November 2001, under the PV Master Plan - a project jointly developed by the Botswanan and Japanese Governments (through the Japanese International Cooperation Agency) - several pilot schemes were instituted.

In early 2006, the Government announced that as part of its 2005-2006 Budget, the National Rural Photovoltaic Electrification Programme would offer subsidised PV packages to at least 88 villages. The package offered to villages satisfying various criteria (distance from grid, level of population etc.) includes PV panels and battery banks, solar water heating systems etc.

In April 2007 the Government called for tenders for a solar thermal power plant prefeasibility study.