Solar power boosts poor in Phuket
Solar-powered electricity systems have been installed in the homes of 351 poor families in Phuket as part of a nationwide project to bring power to areas not yet connected to the main grid.
Prawat Siripatrodom, of the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA), said that a further 100 householders had applied for solar power but were disqualified because they lacked house registration documents. The PEA and district authorities will try to solve the problem, Prawat said. He said the Solar Home System project had a budget of more than Bt5 billion from central government, sufficient to install solar power in about 203,000 households around Thailand. "So far we have installed systems in 180,000 homes. The remaining homes are mostly in the North and the South," he said. "It costs around Bt25,000 a house to install a system. When fully charged, the battery can power two neon lights and a 14-inch television set for around four hours. "The systems have a working life of about 20 to 25 years." Prawat also spoke about a plan to install submarine power cables to Koh Maphrao and Koh Naka Yai in Phang Nga Bay. The plan is expected to cost between Bt30 million and Bt40 million for each island.
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