By Sami Zaptia.
Tripoli, 6 June 2013:
Speaking on Wednesday at the third and final day of the MEED “Libya Projects 2013” conference . . .[restrict]in Tripoli, Khairy Agha, Chairman of the Renewable Energy Authority of Libya (REAoL) said that legislation was the key to Libya’s policy in this sector.
“Energy efficiency and the need for new and appropriate legislation are needed so that Libya can put in place an appropriate renewable energy policy”, said Agha.
“According to the General Electricity Company of Libya (GECOL), 19-20 percent of power is consumed by public lighting. Domestic consumption accounts for about 40 percent, and 30 percent of this is used for water heating”, he explained.
Agha expressed his disappointment that Libya does not use enough solar water heaters, as is the case in neighbouring Tunisia. This, especially since Agha thought that solar water heating is a simple and easy technology.
Nevertheless, Agha was in no doubt as to what is the main obstacle to the advancement of renewable energy in Libya: the cheap price of electricity.
Agha felt that there needed to be an incentive for Libyans to take up solar water heating and to reduce their electricity consumption.
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