Model Home Shows off Renewable Energy Technology in Senegal

May 19, 2011

The Israeli ambassador's residence in Dakar has undergone an eco-friendly renovation to better use renewable energy. Ambassador Gideon Behar says it is a model for how people can live in balance with their environment.

“We have added first of all a system of irrigation which is called drip irrigation which uses much less water and in a more effective way. So all the garden is installed with a goutte-a-goutte or drip irrigation. In addition to that, we have added solar energy either for heating the water for showers or the kitchen uses but also solar system for the electricity of the house,” he said.

The model home includes an aquaculture project that Ambassador Behar says can help improve Senegalese nutrition. “We are growing fish. We want to show people here in Senegal that it is very possible, with small pools of water which exist everywhere in Senegal and also in Africa, that you can grow enough food, enough protein for your needs as a family,” he said.

'Solar power'

The launch of the Israeli embassy's “green house” featured Israeli businesses that are investing in renewable energy. Senegal's Minister of Renewable Energy, Louis Seck, says that is especially important here in the Sahel.

Seck says Senegal has an abundance of solar energy for pumping water, for heating water, and for running equipment like computers. So he believes the Israeli initiative is a great part of developing renewable energy in the country.