In Ouagadougou, solar panels for better learning conditions 

In Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, power cuts are legion. Sometimes planned, often unexpected, they are the daily life of thousands of learners in Burkina Faso, interrupting the schools’ rhythm and lessons.

Some companies and schools offset these frequent cuts by purchasing generators, which run on diesel and have the disadvantage of being noisy, consume a lot^of energy and take up space. 

Enko Ouaga Campus is an international secondary school of the Enko Education network located in Zogona, Ouagadougou. Enko Ouaga Campus’ Head of School Mr Thierry Adam has found an innovative alternative to this polluting solution. “Having a conversation with my teachers, I asked them why we would not use a resource Burkina Faso is not short of: the sun!”

The team immediately joined forces. One of the teachers introduced the Head of School to BUY US, a Burkinabe company specialized in solar energy. The school had an unused flat roof, ideal for solar. 

The students were also involved thanks to the Physics teacher and solar expert, Mr Somda, who made them estimate the surface and quantity of panels needed to cover the school’s consumption. The students did all the theoretical work on the energy as part as their Physics class. 

A few months later, the panels are in place! They are invisible from the street and the playground, the batteries are placed in the lab’s preparation room so that Mr Somda can easily access them.  In the event of a power failure, they automatically take over without any gap. Classes are no longer interrupted, students continue to work with light and fans, even in the computer room! 

“The most impressive is that during power outages, you can hear all the noisy generators of the surrounding buildings starting. At school, there is no noise, solar energy silently takes over. “

This initiative, in addition to its positive social and environmental impact on the community, allows Enko Ouaga Campus students to study in optimal conditions. A prerequisite for these ambitious students who follow the demanding International Baccalaureate programmes, fulfilling the Enko Education mission of increasing access to the world’s best universities.