The Secretariat of UNFCCC announced that PIF Program for Solar Energy on the rooftops of schools implemented by Massader Company, a PIF subsidiary, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, has won the 10th edition of the UN Climate Change Award.

UNFCCC selected the Solar Energy Program for the award under the title of “self-reliance and solar energy in the West Ban and Gaza Strip – State of Palestine” under the category of financing for environment-friendly investment. The agency stated in a press release issued today that the ‘award winning projects reflect a leading role in terms of world climate by nations, business sector, investors, and the civil society.”

The UN Climate Change Award is a prestigious international award granted by the UNFCCC since 2011. According to the agency, the award reflects recognition and appreciation for the best international models in terms of creativity and extent of action under the theme of climate change. These projects are considered solutions, that not only provide solutions for the climate change, but also contribute towards promoting the SDGs such creativity and economic opportunities.

This is the second international award for the project. In 2019, the Middle East Solar Industry Association (MESIA) based in the UAE, selected the project as the best project of electro-solar systems on rooftops in the MENA region.

Dr. Mohammd Mustafa, Chairman of PIF Board of Directors, said :” this award is an international recognition of the Palestinian people’s and institutions’ capacity and potentials to rise up and face the challenges, and to basically continue working despite the occupation and its obstacles. It motivates PIF and is the practical reflection of the efforts that PIF exerts in the field of renewable energy through Massader Company, promoting and advocating for the establishment of an independent Palestinian energy sector away from economic dependence.”

He added “ PIF launched the Noor Palestine Program for Solar Energy with the aim of generating 200 MW of electricity through solar energy that the occupation cannot block. It is part of a major investment program in the enery sector as a whole since it is one of the most strategic sectors that spearheads our struggle for self-reliance, independence, and detachment from the Israeli occupation.”

In his turn, Dr. Marwan Awartani, Minister of Education, said : “ this program is consistent with the Ministry’s vision to develop the educational environment. It is the result of joint efforts among a group of stakeholders, at the forefront of which are PIF and the Ministry of Education. This award comes in recognition of the importance of implementing this project as an integral part of the development process, and a motivation for developing the educational process by providing clean and renewable energy.”

The program to produce electricity from solar energy on the rooftops of schools was launched by PIF to generate 35 MW of electricity, i.e. the equivalent of consumption for approximately 16000 households, by installing solar panels on the rooftops of 500 public schools, with a total investment amount of US$35 million dollars.

In his turn, Azem Bishara, the CEO of Massader, a subsidiary of PIF that is implementing the program, said that the award is a recognition of the special efforts of all work teams and all partners, especially the Ministry of Education, Electricity Distribution companies, and of course Palestinian private sector developers who were able to keep up with international technological advancements and implement the Nour Palestine project components in accordance with the highest international standards. He added “we are proud of PIF’s role in leading these efforts, strengthening the private sector, promoting the culture of clean energy, and providing job opportunities for our creative and innovative human resources.”

The program is one of the components of Nour Palestine Program that installed to date more than 55,000 solar panels throughout the various governorates. In addition to the solar energy program for the rooftops of public schools, Nour Palestine includes also the establishment of PV plants, two of which were completed, namely: “Nour Jericho” plant in Nweihmeh in the Jericho and Jordan Valley governorate over an area of 86 dunums, with more than 20,000 solar panels and a production capacity of 7.5 MW, i.e. equivalent to the consumption of 3600 households. The other plant, “Nour Jenin” plant in Kafr Dan in the Jenin governorate, was established on an area of 60 dunums, and has more than 13500 solar panels with a production capacity of 5 MW, i.e. equivalent to the consumption of 2000 households.

The installation of electricity generation systems and solar panels on the rooftops of 151 schools will be completed by the end of this year. Preparations are underway in the meantime for the new schools that are included in the program. All installation processes of PV Systems on school rooftops are implemented by Palestinian private sector developers.

PIF managed to attract international financing institutions to invest in the program, such as IFC, EIB, in addition to funding provided by “Financing for job creation F4J” project that is implemented by DAI for the benefit of the Ministry of Finance through funding and support from the World Bank. The objectives of this program are aligned with the objectives of international institutions in contributing towards achieving sustainable development, the development of sectors that affect the life of citizens, especially the energy sector. On the other hand, partnership with these institutions reflects the trust in the credibility, status, and role of PIF and its governance in order to achieve the desired impact for the development of the national economy.

In addition to the development and financial goals achieved by the program such as creation of specialized jobs, and covering the needs of schools paying the monthly electricity bill and reducing the annual cost of electricity for participating schools by US$1.2 million dollars annually, transforming consumers into producers and achieving savings for the treasury, the program contributes also to improving the educational environment at schools, strengthening the culture of renewable energy, and developing the educational process as a whole.