Some thoughts on solar deployment in Gaza

In the very first days of Israel’s most recent war against the Palestinian people, as I saw the news, I realized how many rooftop solar panels there were in Gaza. Not going to lie, it was a surprising and yet simultaneously encouraging scene to see, knowing that these solar infrastructures provide much needed electricity to the local population.

Unfortunately solar currently only supply 20% of electricity demand in Gaza. Palestinian thinktank cited cost and blockade as the main barriers for a more rapid deployment of solar.

Beyond costliness, the Israeli regime has sporadically restricted the entry of materials needed to install solar energy equipment over the past two decades. Moreover, its successive attacks on Gaza have destroyed necessary infrastructure for PV system installation, including residential buildings needed to house a rapidly expanding population, expected to reach 3.1 million in 2030. Combined with diminishing land and roof space, these realities render it extremely challenging for most Palestinians in Gaza to consider adopting PV technology.

Nevertheless, solar deployment in Gaza is still a remarkable achievement. Around a fifth of Gazans have installed solar power in their homes, which is about the same residential solar uptake percentage in Nederland (the EU state with highest solar installed per capita).

Similar to the case in Ukraine, the deployment and actual resiliency of renewable energy infrastructures in Gaza provides invaluable lessons for other people around the world, especially those who are or could at any moment be involved in a similar military conflict.