Shetland trains Saharans in solar energy

FORTY solar projects are being planned in the Sahara desert thanks to a training partnership with a small renewable energy business based in Britain’s most northerly isle.

The Unst-based Pure Energy Centre Ltd (PEC) designed a training programme in solar energy and delivered its first course in French and Arabic for 20 senior project managers in Tunisia.

Representatives from the Shetland company head out to Tunisia again at the end of this month to attract new business at an international conference that will be attended by energy ministers from throughout the Mediterranean and Arabic world.

PEC say that there is a high demand for training courses in the latest developments in solar power technology, solar application design engineering, solar system installation and how to use solar energy more effectively.

The company, which is based on one of the country’s most remote industrial estates, is at the forefront of hydrogen energy and storage, installing seven systems in the UK this year.

PEC business manager Elizabeth Johnson said they were expanding into solar and wind power due to demand and has plans to instal systems in the UK, Europe, North Africa and Faroe.

Even Shetland could benefit from solar energy systems, Mrs Johnson said. “The technology has moved on and they work very well when there is just day light, you don’t necessarily need sunshine.

“We have installed systems in Faroe and it works very well there so I think we are going to start seeing more solar in Shetland.”