SHOTLIST:

AP Television

Sunnyvale, California - 25 February 2010

1. Pan of eBay headquarters

2. Close up of Dr. Sridhar holding up new fuel cell

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. KR Sridhar, Principal co-founder and CEO of Bloom Energy:

"Bloom Energy server is the equivalent of your mobile phone without a wire, compared to the landline telephone that had copper wires. What this is, is producing power at the point that you use it, outside your building, that''s called distributor generation and Bloom Energy server does that for you using a fuel cell technology."

4. Medium shot of servers outside eBay headquarters that hold Bloom Energy fuel cells

5. Medium shot of Bloom Energy servers

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Libby Reder, Head of Environmental Initiatives, eBay:

"We are so proud to bring Bloom Energy technology onto our campus, because it''s both a cost effective investment in alternative energy as well as a technology that supports our sustainability goals."

7. Medium shot inside eBay headquarters

8. Close up of award given to eBay for use of green energy

9. Medium shot through windows showing Bloom Energy servers outside

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. KR Sridhar, Principal co-founder and CEO of Bloom Energy:

"The amount of energy that comes to your home or office is very little of the total energy of fuel that you burn. The Bloom Energy server, chemical energy straight to electrical energy, no in between steps, no transmission wires, nothing, so what you get is extremely efficient electricity generation."

11. Zoom out of Bloom Energy sign on servers

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Libby Reder, Head of Environmental Initiatives, eBay:

"They take about 50 percent of the energy we would ordinarily use in this building off the grid and on a campus wide basis it''s about 15 percent of the energy that we use or the energy needs of about one of every six employees on this campus."

13. Wide shot of eBay employees

14. Various shots of eBay employee working at computer

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Michael Kanellos, Editor in chief, Greentech Media:

"They are saying this can produce power for 9 to 10 cents per kilowatt hour, that includes, maintenance, repair work, the gas, everything. That puts it comparable with wind and solar, but they are at the first stage of the cost curve, they have nowhere to go but down. Solar and wind have been working on this for awhile, they are a little more mature, so this could slide under."

16. Medium shot of graphic showing how fuel cell works

17. Various picture showing how energy is distributed

LEAD IN

A secretive Silicon Valley company is promising to bring a new, revolutionary green energy source onto the market.

Major companies like eBay and Google are already using the Bloom Energy fuel cells, and are happy with the results.

STORYLINE

This building gets its energy from an unusual source.

eBay''s headquarters in Sunnyvale, California, are powered by a revolutionary box of fuel cells.

The innovative green technology stems from Silicon Valley startup Bloom Energy.

The company says it produces more power with less environmental damage than other fuel cells on the market, because it isn''t reliant on just hydrogen to trigger the chemical reactions that create power.

Rather, it can use wind, solar power and whatever else is available, which could vary from community to community.

Bloom Energy doesn''t offer more details about how that works.

Dr. KR Sridhar, Principal co-founder and CEO of Bloom Energy, says the power is produced when you use it.

"Bloom Energy server is the equivalent of your mobile phone without a wire, compared to the landline telephone that had copper wires. What this is, is producing power at the point that you use it, outside your building, that''s called distributor generation and Bloom Energy server does that for you using a fuel cell technology," he says.

The technology is already being used at major companies such as Google Inc and eBay Inc, but analysts warn that the technology has yet to be widely proven.

Libby Reder, Head of Environmental Initiatives at eBay, says the company is pleased to be one of the first to use Bloom Energy.

"We are so proud to bring Bloom Energy technology onto our campus, because it''s both a cost effective investment in alternative energy as well as a technology that supports our sustainability goals," she says.

Bloom Energy''s product promises to place cells that can generate huge amounts of power closer to where the power is being used.

One of the easiest ways to power the Bloom box would be to hook it up directly to a natural gas line.

Sridhar says there are no in-between steps between the energy server and its destination.

"The amount of energy that comes to your home or office is very little of the total energy of fuel that you burn. The Bloom Energy server, chemical energy straight to electrical energy, no in between steps, no transmission wires, nothing, so what you get is extremely efficient electricity generation," he says.

Reder says half of the energy the building would use is taken off the grid.

"They take about 50 percent of the energy we would ordinarily use in this building off the grid and on a campus wide basis it''s about 15 percent of the energy that we use or the energy needs of about one of every six employees on this campus," she says.

Bloom Energy says its customers pay 9 cents to 10 cents per kilowatt-hour.

Michael Kanellos, Editor in chief of Greentech Media says Bloom Energy''s fuel box is comparable to solar and wind energy in cost.

"They are saying this can produce power for 9 to 10 cents per kilowatt hour, that includes, maintenance, repair work, the gas, everything. That puts it comparable with wind and solar, but they are at the first stage of the cost curve, they have nowhere to go but down. Solar and wind have been working on this for awhile, they are a little more mature, so this could slide under."

Sridhar says Bloom Energy can always produce, unlike solar or wind power, which rely on external factors.

"Compared to solar and wind today''s businesses needs to make hay when the sun doesn''t shine, today''s businesses need to sail when they wind is not blowing, we need a 24/7, 365 renewable parcels, Bloom Energy is that."

For power they buy directly from the electricity grid in California, where all of Bloom Energy''s boxes are currently located, the price is 13 cents to 14 cents per kWh, the company says.

The savings are big but there''s a catch.

Bloom Energy says its customers are getting a big federal tax credit that amounts to 30 percent of the price of the Bloom box, along with a rebate from California based on how much energy they buy.

The figures suggest that Bloom Energy''s customers might be saving money solely because of the subsidies, not because the power generated by Bloom Energy machines is cheaper to produce.

Bloom Energy is not disclaiming what the costs would be without the subsidies.

Sridhar says the investment pays for itself in three to five years but declined to provide further details.

With around $400 million in venture funding, Bloom Energy is one of Silicon Valley''s most closely watched startups.

Since its founding in 2001, it has been remarkably secretive about its technology.

The Silicon Valley company didn''t offer many new details Wednesday (24 February) about how it plans to make its promising fuel-cell technology affordable enough for regular people to buy for their homes.

SHOTLIST:

AP Television

Sunnyvale, California - 25 February 2010

1. Pan of eBay headquarters

2. Close up of Dr. Sridhar holding up new fuel cell

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. KR Sridhar, Principal co-founder and CEO of Bloom Energy:

"Bloom Energy server is the equivalent of your mobile phone without a wire, compared to the landline telephone that had copper wires. What this is, is producing power at the point that you use it, outside your building, that''s called distributor generation and Bloom Energy server does that for you using a fuel cell technology."

4. Medium shot of servers outside eBay headquarters that hold Bloom Energy fuel cells

5. Medium shot of Bloom Energy servers

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Libby Reder, Head of Environmental Initiatives, eBay:

"We are so proud to bring Bloom Energy technology onto our campus, because it''s both a cost effective investment in alternative energy as well as a technology that supports our sustainability goals."

7. Medium shot inside eBay headquarters

8. Close up of award given to eBay for use of green energy

9. Medium shot through windows showing Bloom Energy servers outside

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. KR Sridhar, Principal co-founder and CEO of Bloom Energy:

"The amount of energy that comes to your home or office is very little of the total energy of fuel that you burn. The Bloom Energy server, chemical energy straight to electrical energy, no in between steps, no transmission wires, nothing, so what you get is extremely efficient electricity generation."

11. Zoom out of Bloom Energy sign on servers

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Libby Reder, Head of Environmental Initiatives, eBay:

"They take about 50 percent of the energy we would ordinarily use in this building off the grid and on a campus wide basis it''s about 15 percent of the energy that we use or the energy needs of about one of every six employees on this campus."

13. Wide shot of eBay employees

14. Various shots of eBay employee working at computer

15. Wide shot of eBay employee dining area

16. SOUNDBITE (English) Michael Kanellos, Editor in chief, Greentech Media:

"They are saying this can produce power for 9 to 10 cents per kilowatt hour, that includes, maintenance, repair work, the gas, everything. That puts it comparable with wind and solar, but they are at the first stage of the cost curve, they have nowhere to go but down. Solar and wind have been working on this for awhile, they are a little more mature, so this could slide under."

17. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. KR Sridhar, Principal co-founder and CEO of Bloom Energy:

"Compared to solar and wind today''s businesses needs to make hay when the sun doesn''t shine, today''s businesses need to sail when they wind is not blowing, we need a 24/7, 365 renewable parcels. Bloom Energy is that."

18. Medium shot of graphic showing how fuel cell works

19. Various picture showing how energy is distributed

LEAD IN

A secretive Silicon Valley company is promising to bring a new, revolutionary green energy source onto the market.

Major companies like eBay and Google are already using the Bloom Energy fuel cells, and are happy with the results.

STORYLINE

This building gets its energy from an unusual source.

eBay''s headquarters in Sunnyvale, California, are powered by a revolutionary box of fuel cells.

The innovative green technology stems from Silicon Valley startup Bloom Energy.

The company says it produces more power with less environmental damage than other fuel cells on the market, because it isn''t reliant on just hydrogen to trigger the chemical reactions that create power.

Rather, it can use wind, solar power and whatever else is available, which could vary from community to community.

Bloom Energy doesn''t offer more details about how that works.

Dr. KR Sridhar, Principal co-founder and CEO of Bloom Energy, says the power is produced when you use it.

"Bloom Energy server is the equivalent of your mobile phone without a wire, compared to the landline telephone that had copper wires. What this is, is producing power at the point that you use it, outside your building, that''s called distributor generation and Bloom Energy server does that for you using a fuel cell technology," he says.

The technology is already being used at major companies such as Google Inc and eBay Inc, but analysts warn that the technology has yet to be widely proven.

Libby Reder, Head of Environmental Initiatives at eBay, says the company is pleased to be one of the first to use Bloom Energy.

"We are so proud to bring Bloom Energy technology onto our campus, because it''s both a cost effective investment in alternative energy as well as a technology that supports our sustainability goals," she says.

Bloom Energy''s product promises to place cells that can generate huge amounts of power closer to where the power is being used.

One of the easiest ways to power the Bloom box would be to hook it up directly to a natural gas line.

Sridhar says there are no in-between steps between the energy server and its destination.

"The amount of energy that comes to your home or office is very little of the total energy of fuel that you burn. The Bloom Energy server, chemical energy straight to electrical energy, no in between steps, no transmission wires, nothing, so what you get is extremely efficient electricity generation," he says.

Reder says half of the energy the building would use is taken off the grid.

"They take about 50 percent of the energy we would ordinarily use in this building off the grid and on a campus wide basis it''s about 15 percent of the energy that we use or the energy needs of about one of every six employees on this campus," she says.

Bloom Energy says its customers pay 9 cents to 10 cents per kilowatt-hour.

Michael Kanellos, Editor in chief of Greentech Media says Bloom Energy''s fuel box is comparable to solar and wind energy in cost.

"They are saying this can produce power for 9 to 10 cents per kilowatt hour, that includes, maintenance, repair work, the gas, everything. That puts it comparable with wind and solar, but they are at the first stage of the cost curve, they have nowhere to go but down. Solar and wind have been working on this for awhile, they are a little more mature, so this could slide under."

Sridhar says Bloom Energy can always produce, unlike solar or wind power, which rely on external factors.

"Compared to solar and wind today''s businesses needs to make hay when the sun doesn''t shine, today''s businesses need to sail when they wind is not blowing, we need a 24/7, 365 renewable parcels, Bloom Energy is that."

For power they buy directly from the electricity grid in California, where all of Bloom Energy''s boxes are currently located, the price is 13 cents to 14 cents per kWh, the company says.

The savings are big but there''s a catch.

Bloom Energy says its customers are getting a big federal tax credit that amounts to 30 percent of the price of the Bloom box, along with a rebate from California based on how much energy they buy.

The figures suggest that Bloom Energy''s customers might be saving money solely because of the subsidies, not because the power generated by Bloom Energy machines is cheaper to produce.

Bloom Energy is not disclaiming what the costs would be without the subsidies.

Sridhar says the investment pays for itself in three to five years but declined to provide further details.

With around $400 million in venture funding, Bloom Energy is one of Silicon Valley''s most closely watched startups.

Since its founding in 2001, it has been remarkably secretive about its technology.

The Silicon Valley company didn''t offer many new details Wednesday (24 February) about how it plans to make its promising fuel-cell technology affordable enough for regular people to buy for their homes.

Energy ministers from across the developing world gathered in Abu Dhabi on Monday and stressed the need for continued investment in fossil fuel production.

The meeting - at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition Conference - came just days after those same nations signed up to the COP26 agreement aimed at curbing climate change.

UAE Energy Minister Suhail Al-Mazrouei said that while climate change was an issue he was committed to tackling, there was a "duty" to supply the world with energy from fossil fuels, in order to avoid soaring costs for consumers and businesses.

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company CEO Sultan al Jaber insisted oil and gas would be the biggest energy source for "decades to come."

The COP26 deal reached in Glasgow, Scotland on Saturday contained a last-minute change that watered down crucial language about coal.

Several countries expressed disappointment by the change promoted by India to “phase down” rather than “phase out” coal power, the single biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions.

India's minister of petroleum and natural gas Hardeep Singh Puri told the audience in Abu Dhabi that his nation was a the forefront of the energy transition.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Abu Dhabi - 15 November 2021

1. Visitors at ADIPEC (Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition Conference) energy exhibition

2. Sign in reading (English) "Protecting the Future"

3. Visitors of exhibition

4. Exhibitor stand

5. Close of equipment

6. Various of exhibition

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Suhail Al-Mazrouei, UAE Energy Minister:

"Yes, we have a climate change issue that we are tackling by the commitment, but there is a duty to do in terms of supplying the world during the transition with the required resources. If we don't do that, two things could happen. One, prices will go five-fold, six-fold, like what happened to the coal and gas this year. And that's something that we think is wrong because the world cannot, and the consumers cannot, pay five times their utility bills because the energy went (up) five times."

7. Wide of energy conference

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Sultan Al Jaber, CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company:

"The oil and gas industry will have to invest over 600 billion U.S. dollars every year until 2030 just to keep up with the expected demand. And yes, renewable energy is the fastest growing segment of the energy mix. But the oil and gas is still the biggest and will be for decades to come. "

9. Audience

10. Ministers on stage

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Abdulaziz bin Salman al Saud, Saudi Energy Minister:

"We have to have our aspiration be met on a sustainable development issue yet again. We have to focus on energy security, on sustainable growth and diversity for economies and services. And also, we have to be mindful of climate change. And these three things and these three pills would have to be attended to equally."

12. Ministers on stage

13. Audience

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Hardeep Singh Puri, Indian Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas:

"This transition will have to be managed in a pragmatic way. And as long as we are all committed to the ultimate objectives and India's commitment of net zero by 2070, for me as a student of energy transition, I'm new to the oil and natural gas field. I come in from a completely different profession. I think it's a very bold, ambitious commitment. And also the ones that we plan to carry out by 2030. We will deliver."

15. Wide of event

Egyptian natural gas should reach Lebanon through Jordan and Syria soon after maintenance of pipelines and the review of a deal interrupted 10-years ago are finalised by early October, ministers of the four countries said Wednesday.

There is no date yet for when the gas will be pumped. But reviving the Arab gas pipeline to deliver Egyptian gas to Lebanon comes as the small country is reeling from a crippling energy crisis.

Lebanese Energy Minister Raymond Ghajar said the World Bank would help his cash-strapped government guarantee payment for the gas, which is expected to help produce 450 megawatts of electricity in the country's only natural gas plant, in northern Lebanon.

Syrian Oil Minister Bassam Tomeh said the Syrian grid, which had been damaged and sabotaged in the recent years, has been fixed and is part of the national grid. But technical teams are ensuring it is ready for use.

Speaking at a news conference with the three ministers in Amman, Jordanian energy minister Hala al-Zawati said the infrastructure to resume gas flow to Lebanon needed checks after a 10-year hiatus. These should be finished in three weeks.

Egyptian energy minister Tarek Mullah said some clauses in the deal will also need reviewing. He didn't elaborate.

Lebanon is witnessing an economic crisis described as one of the world's worst since the 1850s.

Shortages of medicine, fuel and basic supplies have often brought the country to standstill, while political disagreements have foiled efforts to form a government to negotiate a rescue package with international financial institutions.

The Syrian government of Bashar Assad is under U.S. and western sanctions for its role in the brutal war, which has left nearly half a million killed and disappeared and nearly half of the population displaced.

Despite the sanctions, the U.S. has supported the resumption of natural gas from Egypt to Lebanon via Syria.

AGENCY POOL

Amman - 8 September 2021

1. Various of meeting of the energy ministers of Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Amman - 8 September 2021

2. Conference

3. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Bassam Tomeh, energy minister of Syria:

"Regarding oil, gas and electricity in Syria, those have been exposed to terrorist attacks. Maintenance was done at that time but it needs to be checked again. I have visited the kingdom (Jordan) about two months ago and I have met with her excellency the minister of energy. Also two weeks ago, a technical team was in the kingdom and a technical inspection was agreed upon and it's almost done. The team is now arranging with the other Arab teams to achieve this integration in infrastructure, so that the oil transportation becomes a reality."

4. Various of people in attendance

5. Cameraman filming

6. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Raymond Ghajar, energy minister of Lebanon:

"Our annual need is 600 million cubic meters, so this is our need for gas. Of course this gas has a price, meaning there's a contract and it needs to be funded. We are working with World Bank to secure the correct financial coverage, the partial risk guarantee and the bridge financing, in case there was a default from any side, then the World Bank guarantees that financing is done the right way."

7. Wide of journalist

8. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Tarek Mullah, energy minister of Egypt:

"Today was a very good preliminary meeting for us and with the different technical teams from all sides to get to an agreement on having the infrastructure ready, to be able to pump the Egyptian gas again. Of course, the gas was stopped in the last 10 years but we need to check the whole network and all accompanying facilities related to exchanging the gas on the one hand, and on the other hand, to review some contract terms."

9. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Hala al-Zawati, energy minister of Jordan:

"The infrastructure's readiness for the gas pipeline whether in Egypt or in Jordan, and this was also checked from Syria to Lebanon - that is almost ready. But since the line was not used in Lebanon's direction for 10 years, there are some works we have to do to be sure that the line is ready and able to receive the Egyptian gas, God willing."  

10. Tomeh, Ghajar, Mullah and Zawati leaving the Jordanian Ministry of Energy

LEADIN:

A new green energy plant has opened on the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster.

Solar energy panels have been installed just 100 metres from the Chernobyl reactor that exploded on April 26, 1986.

STORYLINE:

Rows of solar panels generating electricity from the sun in Ukraine.

But it's the location of this solar energy plant that makes it unique.  

It's been set up inside the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster in 1986.

Since opening in October, Solar Chernobyl - a joint project of Germany's Enerparc AG Consortium and Ukrainian company Rodina -  has been producing renewable energy and is capable of delivering one megawatt of power.  

The CEO of Solar Chernobyl, Yevgen Variagin says: "We think this is the best place for solar energy projects, because this land has suffered so much due to the catastrophe which happened 32 years ago and we think by such a project we can bring it back to the humanity. And this is an example how solar energy should be developed and how investment can be brought to the country in transparent way."

The new plant is connected to the nuclear plant's former energy systems and is now ready to deliver energy to consumers.

Variagin says the solar panels are also helping to power the existing facilities of the nuclear power plant. Despite all the nuclear units being shutdown, around 2,000 people continue to work there to support the existing infrastructure and facilities.

The panels are just 100 metres from the number 4 reactor which is covered by the New Safe Confinement, a structure built to prevent the release of radioactive materials.

The Chernobyl explosion released about 400 times more radiation than the U.S. atomic bomb dropped over Hiroshima.

Dozens of people were killed in the immediate aftermath of the disaster and the explosion sent a radioactive cloud over Europe and forced the evacuation of about 115,000 people.

The final death toll from Chernobyl is subject to speculation, due to the long-term effects of radiation, but ranges from an estimate of 9,000 by the World Health Organisation to one of a possible 90,000 by the environmental group Greenpeace.

It's taken almost five years to build the solar station with extra care taken to ensure no contamination or risk to employees.

Director of Rodina, Kostyantyn Logunov says it was a challenging operation to build in the exclusion zone.

"This station (plant) is unique as any excavation is prohibited here. So all the system was built using ballast method and is attached to concrete blocks," he says.

The solar power station produces enough energy to supply around 2,000 households.

The future strategy is to increase the energy generated to 100 megawatts.

An engineer of Solar Chernobyl, Olexander Kobyak says: "The plant can work in completely automatic mode. A human, like everywhere, is needed only for control and removing of any small malfunctions that may happen. We haven't had them yet, but they can happen. At this moment the plant can be run absolutely automatically without people's presence."

The Ukrainian government has supported the project and wants to utilise more of the contaminated area for renewable energy production.

"The idea is to take back this territory to industrial use. For that we already changed a little bit of Ukrainian legislation and we are in the plans for the next changes. (The) idea is to propose for renewables in this territory grids of former nuclear station to be used as a part of the investment projects in renewable energies," says Ostap Semerak, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine.   

However safety remains a priority and the strategy is to keep as many people away from the exclusion zone as possible.

Local ecologist Serhiy Myrnyi says the project will help revive the area.

"The solar power plant inside the zone will be placed in the area which is not on the main tourist routes and which is not important for the natural environment there. I don't think that there will be any negative impact on the environment of the zone. But it will definitely have a positive impact in terms of creating jobs in this area, in terms of social and psychological and cultural revival of this area and of local residents."

A step forward to produce clean energy from the contamination of the past.

Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, Ukraine - 26 October 2018

1. Pan of solar panels installed in Chernobyl Exclusion Zone

2. Wide shot of rainbow over the solar panels

3. Close up of solar panel

4. Wide shot of Chernobyl Solar employees talking

5. Wide shot of men walking

6. Mid shot of solar panels

Kiev, Ukraine - 24 October 2018

7. Cut away Yevgen Variagin during the interview

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Yevgen Variagin, CEO of Solar Chernobyl:

"We think this is the best place for solar energy projects, because this land has suffered so much due to the catastrophe which happened 32 years ago and we think by such a project we can bring it back to the humanity. And this is an example how solar energy should be developed and how investment can be brought to the country in transparent way."

9. Mid shot of Yevgen Variagin talking

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Yevgen Variagin, CEO of Solar Chernobyl:

"The energy which being produced right now is being consumed right now by the existing facilities of the nuclear power plant. So currently we cover probably one fourth of their auxiliary power needs."

Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, Ukraine - 26 October 2018

11. Wide shot of New Safe Confinement

12. Wide shot of 4th reactor covered by New Safe Confinement

13. Mid shot of monument to Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster liquidators

14. Mid shot of high voltage sign

15. Pan from electricity facilities equipment to solar plant

16. Wide shot of solar panels

17. Close up of heat waves seen over panels

18. Close up of panel

19. Wide shot of solar plant

20. Mid shot of Kostyantyn Logunov walking among the solar panels

21. Mid shot of Kostyantyn Logunov coming to solar panel controller

22. Close up of Kostyantyn Logunov adjusting settings on the screen

23. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Kostyantyn Logunov, Director of Rodina - Enerparc AG:

"This station (plant) is unique as any excavation is prohibited here. So all the system was built using ballast method and is attached to concrete blocks."

24. Mid shot of solar panels attached to concrete blocks

25. Close up concrete blocks

26. Wide shot of solar plant

27. Various shots of solar panels

28. Various shots of Olexander Kobyak observing panels

29. Wide shot of Olexander Kobyak going to the control centre of plant

30. Close up diagram of UV-irradiation, air temperature and panel temperature

31. Close up of the screen showing current energy production

32. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Olexander Kobyak, Solar Chernobyl engineer

"The plant can work in completely automatic mode. A human, like everywhere, is needed only for control and removing of any small malfunctions that may happen. We haven't had them yet, but they can happen. At this moment the plant can be run absolutely automatically without anyone being present."

33. Close up of solar panels

34. Wide shot of rows of solar panels

35. Mid of panels with rain water dripping off

36. Wide shot of electricity grid being reflected on solar panel

Kyiv, Ukraine - 16 November 2018

37. Wide shot of Ostap Semerak during the interview

38. SOUNDBITE (English) Ostap Semerak, Ukrainian Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources :

"The idea is to take back this territory to industrial use. For that we already changed a little bit of Ukrainian legislation and we are in the plans for the next changes. (The) idea is to propose for renewables in this territory grids of former nuclear station to be used as a part of the investment projects in renewable energies."

Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, Ukraine - 26 October 2018

39. Pan of solar plant

40. Wide shot of solar panels and electricity grids

41. Close up of solar panel

42. Wide shot of panels

43. Wide shot of solar panels and New Safe Confinement of 4th reactor seen on background

44. Mid shot of flags

Kyiv, Ukraine - 15 November 2018

45. Wide shot of Serhiy Myrnyi working on computer

46. Mid shot Serhiy Myrnyi looking on map of Chernobyl Exclusion Zone on screen

47. Close up Chernobyl Exclusion Zone map on the screen

48. SOUNDBITE (English) Serhiy Myrnyi, ecologist:

"The solar power plant inside the zone will be placed in the area which is not on the main tourist routes and which is not important for the natural environment there. I don't think that there will be any negative impact on the environment of the zone. But it will definitely have a positive impact in terms of creating jobs in this area, in terms of social and psychological and cultural revival of this area and of local residents."

Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, Ukraine - 26 October 2018

49. Wide shot of electricity grid

50. Close up power lines

51. Pan from electricity tower to radiation sign

LEADIN:

A new green energy plant has opened on the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster.

Solar energy panels have been installed just 100 metres from the Chernobyl reactor that exploded on April 26, 1986.

STORYLINE:

Rows of solar panels generating electricity from the sun in Ukraine.

But it's the location of this solar energy plant that makes it unique.  

It's been set up inside the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster in 1986.

Since opening in October, Solar Chernobyl - a joint project of Germany's Enerparc AG Consortium and Ukrainian company Rodina -  has been producing renewable energy and is capable of delivering one megawatt of power.  

The CEO of Solar Chernobyl, Yevgen Variagin says: "We think this is the best place for solar energy projects, because this land has suffered so much due to the catastrophe which happened 32 years ago and we think by such a project we can bring it back to the humanity. And this is an example how solar energy should be developed and how investment can be brought to the country in transparent way."

The new plant is connected to the nuclear plant's former energy systems and is now ready to deliver energy to consumers.

Variagin says the solar panels are also helping to power the existing facilities of the nuclear power plant. Despite all the nuclear units being shutdown, around 2,000 people continue to work there to support the existing infrastructure and facilities.

The panels are just 100 metres from the number 4 reactor which is covered by the New Safe Confinement, a structure built to prevent the release of radioactive materials.

The Chernobyl explosion released about 400 times more radiation than the U.S. atomic bomb dropped over Hiroshima.

Dozens of people were killed in the immediate aftermath of the disaster and the explosion sent a radioactive cloud over Europe and forced the evacuation of about 115,000 people.

The final death toll from Chernobyl is subject to speculation, due to the long-term effects of radiation, but ranges from an estimate of 9,000 by the World Health Organisation to one of a possible 90,000 by the environmental group Greenpeace.

It's taken almost five years to build the solar station with extra care taken to ensure no contamination or risk to employees.

Director of Rodina, Kostyantyn Logunov says it was a challenging operation to build in the exclusion zone.

"This station (plant) is unique as any excavation is prohibited here. So all the system was built using ballast method and is attached to concrete blocks," he says.

The solar power station produces enough energy to supply around 2,000 households.

The future strategy is to increase the energy generated to 100 megawatts.

An engineer of Solar Chernobyl, Olexander Kobyak says: "The plant can work in completely automatic mode. A human, like everywhere, is needed only for control and removing of any small malfunctions that may happen. We haven't had them yet, but they can happen. At this moment the plant can be run absolutely automatically without people's presence."

The Ukrainian government has supported the project and wants to utilise more of the contaminated area for renewable energy production.

"The idea is to take back this territory to industrial use. For that we already changed a little bit of Ukrainian legislation and we are in the plans for the next changes. (The) idea is to propose for renewables in this territory grids of former nuclear station to be used as a part of the investment projects in renewable energies," says Ostap Semerak, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine.   

However safety remains a priority and the strategy is to keep as many people away from the exclusion zone as possible.

Local ecologist Serhiy Myrnyi says the project will help revive the area.

"The solar power plant inside the zone will be placed in the area which is not on the main tourist routes and which is not important for the natural environment there. I don't think that there will be any negative impact on the environment of the zone. But it will definitely have a positive impact in terms of creating jobs in this area, in terms of social and psychological and cultural revival of this area and of local residents."

A step forward to produce clean energy from the contamination of the past.

Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, Ukraine - 26 October 2018

1. Pan of solar panels installed in Chernobyl Exclusion Zone

2. Wide shot of rainbow over the solar panels

3. Close up of solar panel

4. Wide shot of Chernobyl Solar employees talking

5. Wide shot of men walking

6. Mid shot of solar panels

Kiev, Ukraine - 24 October 2018

7. Cut away Yevgen Variagin during the interview

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Yevgen Variagin, CEO of Solar Chernobyl:

"We think this is the best place for solar energy projects, because this land has suffered so much due to the catastrophe which happened 32 years ago and we think by such a project we can bring it back to the humanity. And this is an example how solar energy should be developed and how investment can be brought to the country in transparent way."

9. Mid shot of Yevgen Variagin talking

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Yevgen Variagin, CEO of Solar Chernobyl:

"The energy which being produced right now is being consumed right now by the existing facilities of the nuclear power plant. So currently we cover probably one fourth of their auxiliary power needs."

Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, Ukraine - 26 October 2018

11. Wide shot of New Safe Confinement

12. Wide shot of 4th reactor covered by New Safe Confinement

13. Mid shot of monument to Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster liquidators

14. Mid shot of high voltage sign

15. Pan from electricity facilities equipment to solar plant

16. Wide shot of solar panels

17. Close up of heat waves seen over panels

18. Close up of panel

19. Wide shot of solar plant

20. Mid shot of Kostyantyn Logunov walking among the solar panels

21. Mid shot of Kostyantyn Logunov coming to solar panel controller

22. Close up of Kostyantyn Logunov adjusting settings on the screen

23. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Kostyantyn Logunov, Director of Rodina - Enerparc AG:

"This station (plant) is unique as any excavation is prohibited here. So all the system was built using ballast method and is attached to concrete blocks."

24. Mid shot of solar panels attached to concrete blocks

25. Close up concrete blocks

26. Wide shot of solar plant

27. Various shots of solar panels

28. Various shots of Olexander Kobyak observing panels

29. Wide shot of Olexander Kobyak going to the control centre of plant

30. Close up diagram of UV-irradiation, air temperature and panel temperature

31. Close up of the screen showing current energy production

32. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Olexander Kobyak, Solar Chernobyl engineer

"The plant can work in completely automatic mode. A human, like everywhere, is needed only for control and removing of any small malfunctions that may happen. We haven't had them yet, but they can happen. At this moment the plant can be run absolutely automatically without anyone being present."

33. Close up of solar panels

34. Wide shot of rows of solar panels

35. Mid of panels with rain water dripping off

36. Wide shot of electricity grid being reflected on solar panel

Kyiv, Ukraine - 16 November 2018

37. Wide shot of Ostap Semerak during the interview

38. SOUNDBITE (English) Ostap Semerak, Ukrainian Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources :

"The idea is to take back this territory to industrial use. For that we already changed a little bit of Ukrainian legislation and we are in the plans for the next changes. (The) idea is to propose for renewables in this territory grids of former nuclear station to be used as a part of the investment projects in renewable energies."

Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, Ukraine - 26 October 2018

39. Pan of solar plant

40. Wide shot of solar panels and electricity grids

41. Close up of solar panel

42. Wide shot of panels

43. Wide shot of solar panels and New Safe Confinement of 4th reactor seen on background

44. Mid shot of flags

Kyiv, Ukraine - 15 November 2018

45. Wide shot of Serhiy Myrnyi working on computer

46. Mid shot Serhiy Myrnyi looking on map of Chernobyl Exclusion Zone on screen

47. Close up Chernobyl Exclusion Zone map on the screen

48. SOUNDBITE (English) Serhiy Myrnyi, ecologist:

"The solar power plant inside the zone will be placed in the area which is not on the main tourist routes and which is not important for the natural environment there. I don't think that there will be any negative impact on the environment of the zone. But it will definitely have a positive impact in terms of creating jobs in this area, in terms of social and psychological and cultural revival of this area and of local residents."

Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, Ukraine - 26 October 2018

49. Wide shot of electricity grid

50. Close up power lines

51. Pan from electricity tower to radiation sign

LEADIN:

A new green energy plant has opened on the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster.

Solar energy panels have been installed just 100 metres from the Chernobyl reactor that exploded on April 26, 1986.

STORYLINE:

Rows of solar panels generating electricity from the sun in Ukraine.

But it's the location of this solar energy plant that makes it unique.  

It's been set up inside the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster in 1986.

Since opening in October, Solar Chernobyl - a joint project of Germany's Enerparc AG Consortium and Ukrainian company Rodina -  has been producing renewable energy and is capable of delivering one megawatt of power.  

The CEO of Solar Chernobyl, Yevgen Variagin says: "We think this is the best place for solar energy projects, because this land has suffered so much due to the catastrophe which happened 32 years ago and we think by such a project we can bring it back to the humanity. And this is an example how solar energy should be developed and how investment can be brought to the country in transparent way."

The new plant is connected to the nuclear plant's former energy systems and is now ready to deliver energy to consumers.

Variagin says the solar panels are also helping to power the existing facilities of the nuclear power plant. Despite all the nuclear units being shutdown, around 2,000 people continue to work there to support the existing infrastructure and facilities.

The panels are just 100 metres from the number 4 reactor which is covered by the New Safe Confinement, a structure built to prevent the release of radioactive materials.

The Chernobyl explosion released about 400 times more radiation than the U.S. atomic bomb dropped over Hiroshima.

Dozens of people were killed in the immediate aftermath of the disaster and the explosion sent a radioactive cloud over Europe and forced the evacuation of about 115,000 people.

The final death toll from Chernobyl is subject to speculation, due to the long-term effects of radiation, but ranges from an estimate of 9,000 by the World Health Organisation to one of a possible 90,000 by the environmental group Greenpeace.

It's taken almost five years to build the solar station with extra care taken to ensure no contamination or risk to employees.

Director of Rodina, Kostyantyn Logunov says it was a challenging operation to build in the exclusion zone.

"This station (plant) is unique as any excavation is prohibited here. So all the system was built using ballast method and is attached to concrete blocks," he says.

The solar power station produces enough energy to supply around 2,000 households.

The future strategy is to increase the energy generated to 100 megawatts.

An engineer of Solar Chernobyl, Olexander Kobyak says: "The plant can work in completely automatic mode. A human, like everywhere, is needed only for control and removing of any small malfunctions that may happen. We haven't had them yet, but they can happen. At this moment the plant can be run absolutely automatically without people's presence."

The Ukrainian government has supported the project and wants to utilise more of the contaminated area for renewable energy production.

"The idea is to take back this territory to industrial use. For that we already changed a little bit of Ukrainian legislation and we are in the plans for the next changes. (The) idea is to propose for renewables in this territory grids of former nuclear station to be used as a part of the investment projects in renewable energies," says Ostap Semerak, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine.   

However safety remains a priority and the strategy is to keep as many people away from the exclusion zone as possible.

Local ecologist Serhiy Myrnyi says the project will help revive the area.

"The solar power plant inside the zone will be placed in the area which is not on the main tourist routes and which is not important for the natural environment there. I don't think that there will be any negative impact on the environment of the zone. But it will definitely have a positive impact in terms of creating jobs in this area, in terms of social and psychological and cultural revival of this area and of local residents."

A step forward to produce clean energy from the contamination of the past.

Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, Ukraine - 26 October 2018

1. Pan of solar panels installed in Chernobyl Exclusion Zone

2. Wide shot of rainbow over the solar panels

3. Close up of solar panel

4. Wide shot of Chernobyl Solar employees talking

5. Wide shot of men walking

6. Mid shot of solar panels

Kiev, Ukraine - 24 October 2018

7. Cut away Yevgen Variagin during the interview

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Yevgen Variagin, CEO of Solar Chernobyl:

"We think this is the best place for solar energy projects, because this land has suffered so much due to the catastrophe which happened 32 years ago and we think by such a project we can bring it back to the humanity. And this is an example how solar energy should be developed and how investment can be brought to the country in transparent way."

9. Mid shot of Yevgen Variagin talking

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Yevgen Variagin, CEO of Solar Chernobyl:

"The energy which being produced right now is being consumed right now by the existing facilities of the nuclear power plant. So currently we cover probably one fourth of their auxiliary power needs."

Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, Ukraine - 26 October 2018

11. Wide shot of New Safe Confinement

12. Wide shot of 4th reactor covered by New Safe Confinement

13. Mid shot of monument to Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster liquidators

14. Mid shot of high voltage sign

15. Pan from electricity facilities equipment to solar plant

16. Wide shot of solar panels

17. Close up of heat waves seen over panels

18. Close up of panel

19. Wide shot of solar plant

20. Mid shot of Kostyantyn Logunov walking among the solar panels

21. Mid shot of Kostyantyn Logunov coming to solar panel controller

22. Close up of Kostyantyn Logunov adjusting settings on the screen

23. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Kostyantyn Logunov, Director of Rodina - Enerparc AG:

"This station (plant) is unique as any excavation is prohibited here. So all the system was built using ballast method and is attached to concrete blocks."

24. Mid shot of solar panels attached to concrete blocks

25. Close up concrete blocks

26. Wide shot of solar plant

27. Various shots of solar panels

28. Various shots of Olexander Kobyak observing panels

29. Wide shot of Olexander Kobyak going to the control centre of plant

30. Close up diagram of UV-irradiation, air temperature and panel temperature

31. Close up of the screen showing current energy production

32. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Olexander Kobyak, Solar Chernobyl engineer

"The plant can work in completely automatic mode. A human, like everywhere, is needed only for control and removing of any small malfunctions that may happen. We haven't had them yet, but they can happen. At this moment the plant can be run absolutely automatically without anyone being present."

33. Close up of solar panels

34. Wide shot of rows of solar panels

35. Mid of panels with rain water dripping off

36. Wide shot of electricity grid being reflected on solar panel

Kyiv, Ukraine - 16 November 2018

37. Wide shot of Ostap Semerak during the interview

38. SOUNDBITE (English) Ostap Semerak, Ukrainian Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources :

"The idea is to take back this territory to industrial use. For that we already changed a little bit of Ukrainian legislation and we are in the plans for the next changes. (The) idea is to propose for renewables in this territory grids of former nuclear station to be used as a part of the investment projects in renewable energies."

Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, Ukraine - 26 October 2018

39. Pan of solar plant

40. Wide shot of solar panels and electricity grids

41. Close up of solar panel

42. Wide shot of panels

43. Wide shot of solar panels and New Safe Confinement of 4th reactor seen on background

44. Mid shot of flags

Kyiv, Ukraine - 15 November 2018

45. Wide shot of Serhiy Myrnyi working on computer

46. Mid shot Serhiy Myrnyi looking on map of Chernobyl Exclusion Zone on screen

47. Close up Chernobyl Exclusion Zone map on the screen

48. SOUNDBITE (English) Serhiy Myrnyi, ecologist:

"The solar power plant inside the zone will be placed in the area which is not on the main tourist routes and which is not important for the natural environment there. I don't think that there will be any negative impact on the environment of the zone. But it will definitely have a positive impact in terms of creating jobs in this area, in terms of social and psychological and cultural revival of this area and of local residents."

Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, Ukraine - 26 October 2018

49. Wide shot of electricity grid

50. Close up power lines

51. Pan from electricity tower to radiation sign

LEADIN:

With rising costs of petroleum products, solar energy is becoming more popular in Egypt.

Solar energy users have found it is often cheaper and easier than more traditional energy supplies.

STORYLINE:

This may be a simple farmstead in northern Egypt - but they too are taking advantage of the progress in energy technology.

And with the rising cost of fuel in Egypt, it is no surprise that more and more people are moving towards solar energy.

Over the past few years, Egypt's government has been implementing a strict regime to cut back on government spending in order to meet the conditions for a 12 billion US dollar International Monetary Fund loan.

As part of this, the country's formerly generous fuel subsidies have decreased, and prices have in some cases more than doubled.

The price hikes have hit the population hard, more than half of whom live in poverty.

But the silver lining might be that it's boosted demand for solar energy and helped the industry develop in a country famous for its hot and sunny weather.

The family of Khairi Saber Abdullah, a farmer in the Nile delta town of Al-Hammam, previously relied on a diesel generator for electricity, but shortages of the fuel were common.

Often, they would have to go without electricity for days, when they couldn't buy diesel, or their generator was down.

Many residents outside the urban centres along the Nile corridor do not have access to the electrical grid and operate off of generators.

The purchase of some solar panels has mean they now have reliable electricity for the first time, says Abdullah.

"In the beginning, of course we depended on the generator, and it needed gasoline (diesel), and it used to break down most of the time, which made us stop working sometimes. And it would work for an hour and then overheat and break.  And sometimes we would go two or three days without any lighting or ability to charge even our phones," Abdullah explains.

"But after using solar energy, from the day we installed it, thank God, day and night, television, refrigerator, washing machine, what appliances we have in and around the house operate non-stop without problems, one hundred percent."

There are also urban converts to the energy source.

Alaa Riyadh, a clothes factory owner, has also started his own renewable energy business.

He says that despite the expense of the initial investment, the technology will more than pay for itself over time.

He's installed the panels on the roof of his home and the clothes factory he owns.

It's not yet fuelling production, but helps power the complex's electric gate.

He's also hopeful that the technology will only become more affordable in Egypt.

He's encouraged by the government's interest in expanding sustainable energy, as well.

Riyadh was inspired when he saw that other countries, with far less natural sunshine, were making the switch.

"In Germany, the solar energy units on top of roofs of houses has reached a level that the installed units are producing about 5,000 megawatts, which is two and a half times what the High Dam produces. And of course when we compare this to Egypt, and the solar energy capabilities here as opposed to those there, we find that it's very useful for Egypt. And so because of that I started to think about it," he says.

?

Ahmad Fawzy, an engineer who specialises in consulting on solar energy, says that the country is ideally suited to run off its abundant sunshine and location.

And the increase in fuel prices has left many people with no better option.

"The price of diesel has increased from 80 piasters (about four cents) to 2.35 pounds then to 3.65 pounds and we expect it to increase even more in the coming period," he explains.

"Which is a problem for the simple farmers with a 10 horsepower water pump and homeowners, so the state has started to consider solar energy."

Al-Hammam, Matrouh - 27 January 2018

1. Various of house, solar panels in front of house

2. Farmer pulling water hose

3. Various of farmer watering solar panels

4. Exterior of house

5. Various of house contents, batteries and solar system device

6. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Khairi Saber Abdullah, owner of farm and home powered by solar energy:

"In the beginning, of course we depended on the generator, and it needed gasoline (diesel), and it used to break down most of the time, which made us stop working sometimes. And it would work for an hour and then overheat and break. And sometimes we would go two or three days without any lighting or ability to charge even our phones. But after using solar energy, from the day we installed it, thank God, day and night, television, refrigerator, washing machine, what appliances we have in and around the house operate non-stop without problems, one hundred percent."

7. Wide of house

8. Various of family watching TV

9. Close of electric fan

10. Various of woman in front of stove

11. Various of girl going to fridge and opening door

12. Mother and son trying to start generator

Alexandria - 18 March 2018

13. Various of solar panels on roof of a clothes factory

14. Alaa Riyadh, owner of a renewable energy company and a clothes factory, looking at meters

15. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Alaa Riyadh, factory owner:

"In Germany, the solar energy units on top of roofs of houses has reached a level that the installed units are producing about 5,000 megawatts, which is two and a half times what the High Dam produces. And of course when we compare this to Egypt, and the solar energy capabilities here as opposed to those there, we find that it's very useful for Egypt. And so because of that I started to think about it."

16. Various of factory employee looking at the solar energy meter

17. Riyadh's wife at home opening the dishwasher

18. Riyadh watching television at home

19. Solar energy meters at Riyadh's home

Alexandria - 31 January 2018

20. Various of engineer Ahmed ?Fawzy explaining solar panels

21. Close of Fawzy writing in a notebook

22. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ahmed Fawzy, solar energy specialist,

"The increase in the price of the dollar in the previous period has made the state subsidies exceed 110 billion pounds (6.25 billion US dollars) a year and this is a very large amount for the state to bear. So it has begun to lift subsidies on petroleum products to be able to save the money. The price of diesel has increased from 80 piasters (about four cents) to 2.35 pounds then to 3.65 pounds and we expect it to increase even more in the coming period, which is a problem for the simple farmers with a 10 horsepower water pump and homeowners, so the state has started to consider solar energy."

Alexandria - 18 March 2018

23. Various of worker installing solar panels on a rooftop

LEADIN:

With rising costs of petroleum products, solar energy is becoming more popular in Egypt.

Solar energy users have found it is often cheaper and easier than more traditional energy supplies.

STORYLINE:

This may be a simple farmstead in northern Egypt - but they too are taking advantage of the progress in energy technology.

And with the rising cost of fuel in Egypt, it is no surprise that more and more people are moving towards solar energy.

Over the past few years, Egypt's government has been implementing a strict regime to cut back on government spending in order to meet the conditions for a 12 billion US dollar International Monetary Fund loan.

As part of this, the country's formerly generous fuel subsidies have decreased, and prices have in some cases more than doubled.

The price hikes have hit the population hard, more than half of whom live in poverty.

But the silver lining might be that it's boosted demand for solar energy and helped the industry develop in a country famous for its hot and sunny weather.

The family of Khairi Saber Abdullah, a farmer in the Nile delta town of Al-Hammam, previously relied on a diesel generator for electricity, but shortages of the fuel were common.

Often, they would have to go without electricity for days, when they couldn't buy diesel, or their generator was down.

Many residents outside the urban centres along the Nile corridor do not have access to the electrical grid and operate off of generators.

The purchase of some solar panels has mean they now have reliable electricity for the first time, says Abdullah.

"In the beginning, of course we depended on the generator, and it needed gasoline (diesel), and it used to break down most of the time, which made us stop working sometimes. And it would work for an hour and then overheat and break.  And sometimes we would go two or three days without any lighting or ability to charge even our phones," Abdullah explains.

"But after using solar energy, from the day we installed it, thank God, day and night, television, refrigerator, washing machine, what appliances we have in and around the house operate non-stop without problems, one hundred percent."

There are also urban converts to the energy source.

Alaa Riyadh, a clothes factory owner, has also started his own renewable energy business.

He says that despite the expense of the initial investment, the technology will more than pay for itself over time.

He's installed the panels on the roof of his home and the clothes factory he owns.

It's not yet fuelling production, but helps power the complex's electric gate.

He's also hopeful that the technology will only become more affordable in Egypt.

He's encouraged by the government's interest in expanding sustainable energy, as well.

Riyadh was inspired when he saw that other countries, with far less natural sunshine, were making the switch.

"In Germany, the solar energy units on top of roofs of houses has reached a level that the installed units are producing about 5,000 megawatts, which is two and a half times what the High Dam produces. And of course when we compare this to Egypt, and the solar energy capabilities here as opposed to those there, we find that it's very useful for Egypt. And so because of that I started to think about it," he says.

?

Ahmad Fawzy, an engineer who specialises in consulting on solar energy, says that the country is ideally suited to run off its abundant sunshine and location.

And the increase in fuel prices has left many people with no better option.

"The price of diesel has increased from 80 piasters (about four cents) to 2.35 pounds then to 3.65 pounds and we expect it to increase even more in the coming period," he explains.

"Which is a problem for the simple farmers with a 10 horsepower water pump and homeowners, so the state has started to consider solar energy."

Al-Hammam, Matrouh - 27 January 2018

1. Various of house, solar panels in front of house

2. Farmer pulling water hose

3. Various of farmer watering solar panels

4. Exterior of house

5. Various of house contents, batteries and solar system device

6. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Khairi Saber Abdullah, owner of farm and home powered by solar energy:

"In the beginning, of course we depended on the generator, and it needed gasoline (diesel), and it used to break down most of the time, which made us stop working sometimes. And it would work for an hour and then overheat and break. And sometimes we would go two or three days without any lighting or ability to charge even our phones. But after using solar energy, from the day we installed it, thank God, day and night, television, refrigerator, washing machine, what appliances we have in and around the house operate non-stop without problems, one hundred percent."

7. Wide of house

8. Various of family watching TV

9. Close of electric fan

10. Various of woman in front of stove

11. Various of girl going to fridge and opening door

12. Mother and son trying to start generator

Alexandria - 18 March 2018

13. Various of solar panels on roof of a clothes factory

14. Alaa Riyadh, owner of a renewable energy company and a clothes factory, looking at meters

15. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Alaa Riyadh, factory owner:

"In Germany, the solar energy units on top of roofs of houses has reached a level that the installed units are producing about 5,000 megawatts, which is two and a half times what the High Dam produces. And of course when we compare this to Egypt, and the solar energy capabilities here as opposed to those there, we find that it's very useful for Egypt. And so because of that I started to think about it."

16. Various of factory employee looking at the solar energy meter

17. Riyadh's wife at home opening the dishwasher

18. Riyadh watching television at home

19. Solar energy meters at Riyadh's home

Alexandria - 31 January 2018

20. Various of engineer Ahmed ?Fawzy explaining solar panels

21. Close of Fawzy writing in a notebook

22. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ahmed Fawzy, solar energy specialist,

"The increase in the price of the dollar in the previous period has made the state subsidies exceed 110 billion pounds (6.25 billion US dollars) a year and this is a very large amount for the state to bear. So it has begun to lift subsidies on petroleum products to be able to save the money. The price of diesel has increased from 80 piasters (about four cents) to 2.35 pounds then to 3.65 pounds and we expect it to increase even more in the coming period, which is a problem for the simple farmers with a 10 horsepower water pump and homeowners, so the state has started to consider solar energy."

Alexandria - 18 March 2018

23. Various of worker installing solar panels on a rooftop

The first self-sufficient boat powered only by emission-free energy arrived in Paris on Tuesday for its first stop on a six-year trip around the world.

Energy Observer, a former multi-hull race boat converted into a green vessel equipped with solar panels, wind turbines and a hydrogen fuel cell system, will be powered by wind, the sun and self-generated hydrogen.

The 5 million euro (equivalent to 5.25 million US dollars) boat sailed along the coast from the Brittany port of Saint-Malo to the French capital.

Designed in 1983 under the supervision of Mike Birch, the boat enjoyed a successful career in open-sea sailing races, including winning the Jules Verne Trophy in 1994, with Peter Blake at the helm.

The Energy Observer project was conceived in 2015 by skippers Frederic Dahirel and Victorien Erussard, with scuba diver and filmmaker Jerome Delafosse also behind the project.

The technology fitted to the 30.5-metre (100-foot) boat, which is also equipped with a kite sail, will enable the production of hydrogen through an electrolysis process.

According to Florence Lambert, the director of the CEA Liten research institute which devised the boat's energy system, Energy Observer is a good example of what energy networks will look like in the near future, with its well balanced mix of renewable energies and hydrogen storage system.

Paris - 4 July 2017

1. Wide of Energy Observer boat on Seine river

2. Wide of boat with Eiffel Tower in background

3. Mid of Victorien Erussard, skipper of Energy Observer, and Jérôme Delafosse, filmmaker, waving

4. Boat arriving by quay

5. Wide of Energy Observer catamaran

6. SOUNDBITE (French) Victorien Erussard, skipper of Energy Observer:

"Of course it was magical today because Paris is our very first inaugural halt and we'll be here between the 4th and the 16th of July. It's the first of 101 places we'll stop at around the world in the next six years. It's a dream come true as we've been working on this project for six years now and to see the Eiffel Tower appear on the horizon, it triggers a few sensations."

7. Wide of Grand Palais with solar panels on boat in foreground

8. SOUNDBITE (French) Victorien Erussard, skipper of Energy Observer:

"It's a zero-emission boat because it neither releases greenhouse gases nor fine particles. The only thing the boat emits is water vapour. Its 'energy architecture' is promising and we hope it prefigures tomorrow's energy networks, based on a mix of renewable energies – solar, wind and water and hydrogen as an autonomy prolonger. We have to stock it at each stop like here in Paris and we have an entire production line that allows us to transform seawater into hydrogen."

9. Mid of engineers working on solar panel cabling

10. Wide of main energy console

11. Close of screen

12. SOUNDBITE (French) Jérôme Delafosse, filmmaker:

"I see how people are more and more aware of these issues because they realise the impact than Man and pollution have on their own lives and their kids' lives, and today companies are starting to make money with ecology by firstly, saving energy - and (the technology of) a boat like this one is designed to be adapted for use on land. Also, in terms of communication, clients go more and more towards products that have either no environmental impact or a positive one."

13. Wide of solar panels on Energy Observer catamaran with windmills and Eiffel Tower in background

14. Mid of boat on Seine

15. Wide of boat with Eiffel Tower in background

LEADIN:

Both the Egyptian government and private companies are looking to increase the production of green energy.

But there are still obstacles in making the leap from fossil fuels and natural gas to renewable sources.

STORYLINE:

The cows on Oyoun al-Jannah (Paradise Wells) farm in Fayyoum, Egypt are valuable for many reasons - not least because they are used to generate energy for the houses on the property.

Egypt's ministry of environment, in co-operation with the United Nations Development Programme, established several units for the production of biogas from animal waste as part of a pilot project launched in 2012.

According to Ahmed Medhat, Executive Director of the Authority for Biomass Energy and Sustainable Rural Development, the energy units are based on a simulation of a natural process that takes place inside the animal's body.

A biogas unit consists of an underground chamber where animal waste, diluted in water, is stored in isolation from air.

In this environment, micro-organisms can decompose the waste and produce gas.

Through pipelines, this gas is channelled to houses where it is used produce energy.

The decomposed waste is then used as pesticides.

So far, Egypt's government has installed 1300 similar biomass stations in 18 provinces nationwide hoping to contribute to reducing the reliance on gas cylinders.

The government is working on the expansion of this project to reduce gas imports, says Medhat.

"Egyptians consume one million gas cylinders a day, which means 360 million cylinders a year. The biomass energy generated from animal waste alone can reduce our gas cylinder imports by 20 percent."

Medhat says the government is currently drafting guidelines to enact feed-in-tariff schemes as an incentive for the private sector to invest in producing electricity.

The biogas units in Oyoun al-Jannah farm provide for eleven households and secure pesticides for nearly 23 acres of agricultural land.

Nora Goma'a's household is one of the beneficiaries of these biogas units.

"We use the biogas to cook and heat water. It spares us the purchase of two gas cylinders a month, which would cost 40 pounds (two US dollars)," she says.

According to a report released by the Centre for Environment & Development for The Arab Region & Europe in November 2014, nearly 90 per cent of Egypt's total energy needs come from conventional sources of energy, namely fossil fuels and natural gas.

In 2008, the government endorsed a plan for an energy mix that sought to satisfy 20 percent of the country's electricity from renewable energy.

"According to Egypt's strategy for sustainable development for the year 2030, new and renewable energy is one of the pillars that we will rely on for sustainable development," explains Medhat.

Egypt also intends to remove subsidies on electricity by the financial year 2018-2019 and cut energy subsidies by up to 0.5 percent, as a percentage of GDP.

It is hoped the plan will be achieved by increasing energy efficiency and ensuring a transition to renewable and unconventional sources of energy.

However, private endeavours that promote green energy still face many hurdles.

Ahmed Raafat is a 25-year-old mechanical engineer by training.

As he was graduating from Cairo University in 2013, Egypt was struggling with frequent power outages due to shortage in fuel supplies.

Along with a few classmates, he launched a private company to produce biodiesel from cooking oil.

The fresh graduates were hoping their project could contribute to reducing Egypt's reliance on fuel imports.

Yet, the existing legal framework did not make their dream come true.

"When we first started, we wanted our product to contribute to easing the energy crisis in Egypt," says Raafat, co-founder of Tagaddod company.

"Thank God now there is no energy crisis. However, we realised that there is no law that allows us to sell our product in Egypt so we had to export the product."

Raafat's company exports its biodiesel to Europe.

For decades, Egypt has been subsidising fossil fuel but given the current economic crisis and the conditions set by the International Monetary Fund, Egypt is expected to roll back all fuel subsidies by 2018.

Last November, the government introduced partial cuts to fuel subsidies, which constituted nearly 20 percent of the government expenses.

With the devaluation of the local currency and the government's plan to lift all subsidies, energy prices are expected to skyrocket, especially because Egypt is a net importer of oil and gas.

Hence, an urgent need to invest in renewables and unconventional sources of energy.

While Egypt still lacks a legal framework for private investments in biofuel, the government approved feed-in-tariffs schemes for renewable energy in 2014, endorsing a plan targeting 4.3 gigawatts of wind and solar projects that should be installed by 2017.

The announcement had attracted many local and foreign investors who rushed to present their bids.

Karm Solar, a Cairo company established in 2011, was among the bidders.

It has already installed one of those stations near Hurghada along the Red Sea coast in April 2017.

However Karm solar CEO, Ahmed Zahran is cautiously optimistic about the future of solar energy in Egypt.

"Egypt has an edge because it is on the solar belt so the productivity of solar energy stations is one of the highest in the world," says Zahran.

"However, what is really needed is an investment in the development of solar technology because we should not just be consumers of solar energy. If you look at Gulf countries, they are rich in oil but they are incapable of producing oil on their own. They lack the oil technology. If Egypt adopts the same approach, our fate will be doomed."

Karm Solar is considered one of the largest off-grid solar energy companies.

The company also seeks to develop local solar research and development.

Last year, the company registered one patent with its solar pumping stations in the Bahareya Oasis in the Western desert.

While Egypt's 2014 plan was hoping to install tens of solar and wind stations, disputes with investors dashed government's hopes.

Currency risks along with the government's insistence on domestic arbitration prompted many foreign investors to withdraw their bids at the last minute.

Fayyoum - 10 May 2017

1. Wide of livestock

2. Close of Cows

3. Various of worker moving animal waste to the fermentation room on a farm

Cairo - 11 May 2017

4. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ahmed Medhat, Executive Director of the nascent Authority for Biomass Energy and Sustainable Rural Development:

"We import nearly 50 percent of the gas cylinders we need. Egyptians consume one million gas cylinders a day, which means 360 million cylinders a year. The biomass energy generated from animal waste alone can reduce our gas cylinder imports by 20 percent."

Fayyoum - 10 May 2017

5. Wide of the biomass energy station

6. Mid of gas cylinder

7. Pipeline carrying biogas to houses

8. Various of Medhat speaking to worker

SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Nora Goma'a, 27, a resident of the same farm where biomass energy is produced:

"I have been here with my husband and four children for three months. We use the biogas to cook and heat water. It spares us the purchase of two gas cylinders a month, which would cost 40 pounds."

9. Exterior of houses on farm

10. Goma'a turning on stove

11. Pan on stove

12. Various of Goma'a and children

13. Tilt to the stove showing gas pipeline coming from the ceiling

Cairo - 11 May 2017

14. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ahmed Medhat, Executive Director of the nascent Authority for Biomass Energy and Sustainable Rural Development:

"Any country should not rely on one source of energy in its future plans. This is called the energy mix. According to Egypt's strategy for sustainable development for the year 2030, new and renewable energy is one of the pillars that we will rely on for sustainable development."

Cairo - 4 May 2017

15. Woman speaking on the phone

UPSOUND (Arabic) "Miss Fatma, this is Rowaa from Green Pan. You registered your name for the provision of used cooking oil."

16. Woman at desk

17. Wide interior of office

18. Close of Ahmed Raafat

19. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ahmed Raafat, a co-founder of Tagaddod for the production of biodiesel:

"When we first started, we wanted our product to contribute to easing the energy crisis in Egypt. Thank God now there is no energy crisis. However, we realised that there is no law that allows us to sell our product in Egypt so we had to export the product."

Cairo - 14 May 2017

20. Various inside Karm Solar office

Cairo - 11 May 2017

21. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ahmed Zahran, CEO of Karm Solar:

"Egypt has an edge because it is on the solar belt so the productivity of solar energy stations is one of the highest in the world. However, what is really needed is an investment in the development of solar technology because we should not just be consumers of solar energy. If you look at Gulf countries, they are rich in oil but they are incapable of producing oil on their own. They lack the oil technology. If Egypt adopts the same approach, our fate will be doomed."

Bahareya Oasis - 22 May 2017

22. Various of a Karm Solar solar energy station

Cairo - 11 May 2017

23. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ahmed Zahran, CEO of Karm Solar:

"We can refer to what happened with the feed-in-tariff schemes. The government announced the program to all international companies. The government was aiming to secure four gigawatts from wind and solar energy. Many companies had applied and 86 coalitions were selected to implement 86 stations. However, because these companies did not know how things work in Egypt and the government itself did not know how they, the companies, operated, only five stations out of the envisaged 86 were agreed upon."

Bahareya Oasis - 22 May 2017

24. Various of a solar pumping station and artificial lake

The US administration's review of energy policy forced the G-7 meeting of top energy officials to close without issuing a customary joint declaration.

Italy's economic development minister, Carlo Calenda, told a news conference Monday that it was "not possible to sign a final joint declaration, since it would not cover the whole range of topics in the agenda."

US Energy Secretary Rick Perry represented the United States at the two-day meeting, which included discussion of energy security, policies to move away from coal, natural gas routes and supply, sustainable development of electricity sources, alternative fuel and energy access and investments in Africa.

Following the news conference, representatives from the transmission system operators for natural gas in Italy (SNAM) and Slovakia (Eustream) signed a cooperation agreement with their Ukrainian counterparts from state-run Naftogaz and UkrTransGaz.

The agreement, signed in the presence of Ukrainian Energy Minister Igor Nasalik, is aimed at maintaining the Ukrainian gas transit system in good condition.

Rome - 10 April 2017

1. G7 energy ministers arriving for photo opportunity

2. From left to right, Miguel Arias Canete (EU Commissioner for Energy and Climate Action), Rainer Baake - German Energy Minister, Rick Perry - US Energy Secretary, James Gordon Carr - Canadian Energy Minister

3. Photographers and cameramen

4. Close of Perry

5. G7 Energy ministers leave the photo opportunity room

6. Journalists inside news conference

7. Wide of Carlo Calenda, Italian Minister of Economic Development

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Carlo Calenda, Italian Minister of Economic Development:

"We took note that the new administration of the United States of America is in the process of reviewing many of its policies. This includes a review of policies relating to climate change and the Paris Agreement. While such review is underway, the United States reserves its position on these key priorities for the other G7 countries and EU."

9. Journalist writing

10. Wide of Calenda

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Carlo Calenda, Italian Minister of Economic Development:

"Therefore, it was not possible to sign a final joint declaration, since it would not cover the whole range of topics in the agenda."

12. Cameramen

13. Wide of Calenda

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Carlo Calenda, Italian Minister of Economic Development:

"Ukraine has made a significant progress towards increasing the diversity of its energy supply and encouraging energy efficiency, and has taken positive steps on energy reforms but on the same way we encourage Ukraine in finalising and implementing the energy reform. I have the pleasure to announce that today, after this press conference, the Transmission System Operators of Italy (SNAM) and Slovakia (Eustream), and their Ukrainian counterparts (Naftogaz and UkrTransGaz) are going to sign a cooperation agreement at the presence of Ukrainian Energy Minister (Igor) Nasalik, in order to maintain Ukrainian gas transmission network in good operating condition."

15. Various of the signing of the cooperation agreement on Ukrainian gas transmission network

Energy ministers from the Group of 7 (G7) countries gathered in Rome on Monday to discuss energy-related issues.

Some of the topics on the agenda were diversification of sources and routes of supply of natural gas, electricity and sustainable development, alternative fuel scenarios and energy access and investments in Africa.

Meanwhile, outside the venue where the meeting took place, Greenpeace activists held a sit-in to protest against global warming and called on the G7 countries to stay committed to the 2016 Paris Agreement.

Greenpeace is also campaigning against the use of coal as a source of energy, in favour of renewable sources.

There has been concern in Europe over the Trump administration's moves to turn back environmental policies made during the Obama administration.

On March 28, the Trump administration released an executive order asking all the federal agencies to signal the regulations that limit the production of energy from fossil fuels, in order to eliminate them.

This was seen by environmental activists and others as a first attempt to dismantle the Clean Power Plan, aimed at reducing carbon pollution from power plants, introduced by the Obama administration in 2015.

US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry attended the meeting and was later expected to talk about the Trump administration's positions on climate issues.

The Group of 7 (G7) is a group consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The European Union is also represented within the G7.

Rome - 10 April 2017

1. Wide of G7 energy roundtable

2. Medium of Italian Minister of Economic Development Carlo Calenda (seated, wearing glasses) surrounded by his staff

3. US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry

4. Cutaway of flags

5. Yosuke Takagi, State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan, posing for pictures

6. Wide of G7 energy roundtable

7. Italian and European Union flags waving outside the Westin Excelsior building, the meeting venue

8. Greenpeace activists carrying a big thermometer indicating the temperatures of global warming as part of demonstration

9. Greenpeace activists demonstrating in front of the Westin Excelsior Hotel

10. Policeman asking demonstrator to move away

11. Demonstrator holding sign reading "Coal is dead"

12. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Luca Iacoboni, Greenpeace Italy spokesperson: ++AUDIO AS INCOMING++

"Today, Greenpeace is taking action at the G7 Energy meeting in Rome to ask the leaders who gathered here to take the issue of climate change seriously, because the planet is warming up and it affects all of us. The Paris agreements are a serious thing, they are a commitment that leaders agreed to in front of the citizens of the world and now it's time to respect them."

13. Various of demonstrators and policemen

14. Wide of The Westin Excelsior Hotel

Energy ministers from the 20 most powerful economies gathered in Beijing on Wednesday for discussions on how to ensure global energy access, alternative energy sources and energy efficiency.

Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli opened the two-day discussions in a lake-side resort on the outskirts of Beijing by reaffirming the country's commitment to nuclear energy.

More than 1.1 billion people worldwide lack access to electricity, according to the G20, which has in previous meetings singled out energy poverty as a main priority to address in the coming decade and a half.

Shamshad Akhtar, Executive Secretary of the United Nations' Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) said the prospect of universal access to energy was in reach.

The energy ministers' meeting is one of the events leading up to the leaders' summit in early September, which will take place in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou.

Energy ministers from the 20 most powerful economies gathered in Beijing on Wednesday for discussions on how to ensure global energy access, alternative energy sources and energy efficiency.

Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli opened the two-day discussions in a lake-side resort on the outskirts of Beijing by reaffirming the country's commitment to nuclear energy.

More than 1.1 billion people worldwide lack access to electricity, according to the G20, which has in previous meetings singled out energy poverty as a main priority to address in the coming decade and a half.

Shamshad Akhtar, Executive Secretary of the United Nations' Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) said the prospect of universal access to energy was in reach.

The energy ministers' meeting is one of the events leading up to the leaders' summit in early September, which will take place in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou.

Beijing - 29 June 2016

1. Zhang Gaoli, Chinese Vice Premier, walking into news conference

2. G20 logo

3. Zhang walking towards podium

4. Wide of meeting

5. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Zhang Gaoli, Vice Premier of China:

"China considers nuclear energy development as a major measure to adjust our energy structure. Currently, we have 26 nuclear power plants under construction, which accounts to about 40 percent of nuclear plants under construction all over the world."

6. Cutaway

7. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Zhang Gaoli, Vice Premier of China:

"China is willing to work with other countries to promote the construction of international energy corridors and power grids, share the benefits of regional development, safeguard the security of international energy corridors and improve the levels of regional energy development and services."

8. Cutaway of flags

9. Shamshad Akhtar, Executive Secretary of the United Nations' Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), walking towards podium

10. Wide of meeting

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Shamshad Akhtar, Executive Secretary of UNESCAP:

"The prospect of achieving universal energy access by 2030 is within reach. You have achieved it and you are helping other countries achieve it. What is needed is long-term commitment, targets and planning."

12. Cutaway of flags

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Shamshad Akhtar, Executive Secretary of UNESCAP:

"While much progress has been made to assign priority to energy access, and multiple partnerships have evolved to support public sector efforts, in any long journey it is the last mile that is the hardest to achieve for all of us. So our best efforts are what is needed."

14. Akhtar leaving podium

LEAD IN:

A renewable energy company wants Egypt to use more solar power.

SolarizEgypt says the country's climate is ideal and the technology is now cheap enough to make the plan viable.

STORY-LINE:

Rows of solar panels sit on top of a garage.

They were installed at the American University in Cairo in 2014 by Egyptian company SolarizEgypt.

It wants the country to use more solar energy.

Egypt has plenty of sunshine all year round, it's just a case of keeping the panels clean to ensure a constant power supply.

But installations like this are a new feature in the Egyptian capital.

"This is one of the first projects we have created. This project is important because it is one of the first grid-connected projects in Egypt," says Yaseen Abdel Ghaffar, Managing Director of SolarizEgypt.

"It's about 17 Kilowatts, almost the size of two villas (worth of power). It removes around 3,400 kilograms of carbon dioxide from the environment," he explains.

Before the company was launched, Abdel Ghaffar and his team were puzzled by Egypt's lack of interest in renewable energy.

Other countries with much less sunlight were embracing the concept.

"Why do we have an electricity shortage when we have such an abundance of sunlight, yet there are no solar panels anywhere? And the whole world is doing the opposite," he says.

"So we started to research why this idea wasn't widespread in Egypt, and we found that the main reason was the price. But this changed in 2012 when China decided to enter the market, and suddenly what was worth two dollars became 50 cents," he explains.

Now the technology is more affordable, SolarizEgypt wants to boost solar energy production.

But that means a big change for Egypt.

"The current percentage of the country's reliance on solar power is negligible. We depend 98 percent on fossil fuels, oil and gas, and the rest is on the high dam, and wind to a very small degree," says Rana Alaa, the company's technical director.

"So if we manage to go from almost 0.1 percent to 20 or 30 prevent in the next 20 years, that would be something that we hope for and would be proud of," she adds.

Moataz Yassin, a solar energy engineer, says the Egyptian climate is ideal for solar energy.

"Here in Egypt we have sun for 12 hours, amongst them are 6 hours which we call 'peak sun hour". In these hours I can harvest the full power of the cells," he says.

"We have a lot of sunlight compared to European countries, here we can produce double the power that would be produced in Europe with the same system," he continues.

The company tries to rely as much as possible on local material and labour - so far up to 60 percent of their materials are produced locally.

LEAD IN:

A renewable energy company wants Egypt to use more solar power.

SolarizEgypt says the country's climate is ideal and the technology is now cheap enough to make the plan viable.

STORY-LINE:

Rows of solar panels sit on top of a garage.

They were installed at the American University in Cairo in 2014 by Egyptian company SolarizEgypt.

It wants the country to use more solar energy.

Egypt has plenty of sunshine all year round, it's just a case of keeping the panels clean to ensure a constant power supply.

But installations like this are a new feature in the Egyptian capital.

"This is one of the first projects we have created. This project is important because it is one of the first grid-connected projects in Egypt," says Yaseen Abdel Ghaffar, Managing Director of SolarizEgypt.

"It's about 17 Kilowatts, almost the size of two villas (worth of power). It removes around 3,400 kilograms of carbon dioxide from the environment," he explains.

Before the company was launched, Abdel Ghaffar and his team were puzzled by Egypt's lack of interest in renewable energy.

Other countries with much less sunlight were embracing the concept.

"Why do we have an electricity shortage when we have such an abundance of sunlight, yet there are no solar panels anywhere? And the whole world is doing the opposite," he says.

"So we started to research why this idea wasn't widespread in Egypt, and we found that the main reason was the price. But this changed in 2012 when China decided to enter the market, and suddenly what was worth two dollars became 50 cents," he explains.

Now the technology is more affordable, SolarizEgypt wants to boost solar energy production.

But that means a big change for Egypt.

"The current percentage of the country's reliance on solar power is negligible. We depend 98 percent on fossil fuels, oil and gas, and the rest is on the high dam, and wind to a very small degree," says Rana Alaa, the company's technical director.

"So if we manage to go from almost 0.1 percent to 20 or 30 prevent in the next 20 years, that would be something that we hope for and would be proud of," she adds.

Moataz Yassin, a solar energy engineer, says the Egyptian climate is ideal for solar energy.

"Here in Egypt we have sun for 12 hours, amongst them are 6 hours which we call 'peak sun hour". In these hours I can harvest the full power of the cells," he says.

"We have a lot of sunlight compared to European countries, here we can produce double the power that would be produced in Europe with the same system," he continues.

The company tries to rely as much as possible on local material and labour - so far up to 60 percent of their materials are produced locally.

AP TELEVISION

Cairo, Egypt - 15 September 2015

1. Wide of solar panels above parking garage

2. Mid of the SolarizEgypt team standing on opposite roof to look over solar panels

3. Wide of team

4. Wide of two men preparing to wash panels

5. Various of man cleaning panels

6. Close of the clean blue panels

7. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Yaseen Abdel Ghaffar, Managing Director of SolarizEgypt:

"This is one of the first projects we have created. This project is important because it is one of the first grid-connected projects in Egypt. It was made in the beginning of 2014, it's about 17 Kilowatts, almost the size of two villas (worth of power). It removes around 3,400 kilograms of carbon dioxide from the environment."

8. Mid of the inverter

9. Close of the inverter

10. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Yaseen Abdel Ghaffar, Managing Director of SolarizEgypt:

"Sixty percent of the price of the system comes from the cells, which usually come from China, and their life cycle is 25 years. It is connected to the inverter that changes the power from D/C to A/C so that it can be useable, so it becomes identical to the power that comes from the grid."

AP TELEVISION

Cairo, Egypt 12 September 2015

11. Wide of entrance to SolarizEgypt office

12. Mid of SolarizEgypt sign on wall

13. Wide of Yaseen Abdel Ghaffar, Managing Director of SolarizEgypt, working in his office

14. Close of Abdel Ghaffar working

15. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Yaseen Abdel Ghaffar, Managing Director of SolarizEgypt:

"The idea came to us a long time ago, and it was very logical. Why do we have an electricity shortage when we have such an abundance of sunlight, yet there are no solar panels anywhere? And the whole world is doing the opposite. We were in Germany at the time for our old jobs, the country (Germany) has barely any sunlight, but it doesn't have an energy shortage and they have solar panels everywhere. So we started to research why this idea wasn't widespread in Egypt, and we found that the main reason was the price. But this changed in 2012 when China decided to enter the market, and suddenly what worth two dollars became 50 cents."

16. Wide of group in meeting

17. Mid of Rana Alaa, SolarizEgypt's Technical Director in the meeting

18. Close of Abdel Ghaffar

19. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Rana Alaa, SolarizEgypt's Technical Director:

"The current percentage of the country's reliance on solar power is negligible. We depend 98 percent on fossil fuels, oil and gas, and the rest is on the high dam, and wind to a very small degree. So if we manage to go from almost 0.1 percent to 20 or 30 percent in the next 20 years, that would be something that we hope for and would be proud of."

20. Various of Moataz Yassin, Solar Energy Engineer working

21. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Moataz Yassin, Solar Energy Engineer:

"Photovoltaic cells work by changing sunlight into electricity. Here in Egypt we have sun for 12 hours, amongst them are 6 hours which we call 'peak sun hours'. In these hours I can harvest the full power of the cells; if the cell is 250 Watts then I can harvest all 250 Watts, minus the efficiency of the cell. So we depend on transforming the light rather than the heat. Here in Egypt we have a lot of sunlight compared to European countries, here we can produce double the power that would be produced in Europe with the same system, so we can do here for half the price and double the efficiency that it would be done in Europe."

22. Close of the SolarizEgypt sign