Yingli announced on July 8th that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Yingli Singapore, has provided 4kW of solar panels to energize a school and a health clinic in rural Laos. Each site is equipped with a 2 kW off-grid system that is now operational, and provides its occupants with access to electricity for the first time. The school is located in Phongasavang and the health clinic is located in Lad Khammune.
To realize the projects, Yingli worked with Rezeca Renewables, a major system integrator in Singapore; the Young Men's Christian Association of Singapore ("YMCA of Singapore"), a volunteer International Service Organization serving the local community in Laos; MyLaoHome Hotels & Villas, a local community logistics partner; student volunteers from the Youth Corps Singapore Aspirant and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Earthlink Club who supported in the laying of electrical wiring and installation of lights, fans and solar system as part of their social voluntary program. Last year, these same organizations partnered to bring solar power to another rural school located in Lad Khammune.
The communities of Phongsavang and Lad Khammune were chosen by the YMCA of Singapore for these projects because their inaccessibility meant that the local government would be unable to supply them with electricity access within the next five years. The solar panels, system equipment, installers, and volunteers all traveled 5 hours by boat from the city of Luang Prabang to arrive at the remote locations.
Ban Phongsavang school has over 120 students who will benefit from the clean energy system. By providing renewable electricity to the school, the teachers and students now have light for night classes and fans to cool their classrooms. Importantly, they can also integrate technology into their lessons to enrich students' learning experiences. The Lad Khammune Health center serves the medical needs of seven surrounding villages, benefiting approximately 3,000 people. With solar energy, the health center can now extend its operating hours, use fans to provide patients with a more comfortable environment, and also upgrade its medical equipment.
"It was a pleasure to once again partner with such strong organizations and successfully bring solar power to these rural communities,." said Angie Koh, Managing Director of Yingli Singapore. "The project is reflective of Yingli's larger efforts to improve the lives of communities around the world with clean, affordable solar power."