When war and sanctions cut off Sana'a's electricity, residents installed their own solar systems rather than wait. Researchers asked whether that now makes economic sense for a whole city.
When war and international sanctions cut off Sana'a's electricity supply, residents did not wait for the grid to be repaired, they installed their own solar systems instead. Ali M. Al Ashwal and his team at Lebanese International University studied whether that shift makes economic sense now that solar has become the default power source for an entire city.
Some reported findings are:
- Solar home systems became the most viable power source once the national grid collapsed
- The cost analysis shows solar is already cheaper than rebuilding and running the traditional grid
- The authors recommend carbon pricing policy to formally bring household solar into the national energy market
This paper was published in our affiliated journal Energy Catalyst. Read the full article