Author | Vera
According to statistics from Sobi Consulting, since the beginning of last year, the price of photovoltaic modules in mainland China has been declining, from a high of 1.7-1.8 yuan/W to about 0.8 yuan/W, a drop of nearly 1 yuan. Globally, the same low prices have spread to major overseas markets such as Europe, the United States, and Southeast Asia.
However, there is a region in the world where module prices have risen by as much as four times instead of decreasing.
This is the war-torn Gaza Strip.
In the Gaza Strip, the price of a 535W module in the Gaza Strip, which was around $192 before the war, has soared to $657, a nearly fourfold increase, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation ABC. This price change stands in stark contrast to the global trend. Behind this change is the reality of the humanitarian crisis and the extreme lack of resources in the Gaza Strip.
Since the outbreak of a new round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict in October 2023, Israel has imposed a strict blockade on the Gaza Strip, resulting in the interruption of local water and electricity supplies and severely affecting people's livelihoods. According to United Nations statistics, at least half of the Gaza Strip's water and sanitation facilities have been damaged so far, and about 70 percent of the population has no access to clean water and relies on contaminated or salt water for their livelihoods. This not only affects the normal life of residents, but also leads to a series of health problems such as influenza, dehydration, and hepatitis.
In this context, photovoltaics have become an important resource for the survival of the people of Gaza.
Some residents with photovoltaic facilities, such as Mohammed al-Asalia, provide their neighbors with clean water through their own solar-powered wells, which can feed at least 1,000 people a day. His actions have become a microcosm of how Gazans can save themselves in the face of difficult circumstances.
Rooftop PV density in the Gaza sample area (within one square mile), with rooftop PV systems in yellow
(Image source: CSIS; note: Sobi PV Network)
According to statistics from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the Gaza Strip may have the highest PV coverage rate in the world before the outbreak of the new round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The report shows that between 2012 and 2019, the number of PV system installations in Gaza surged from 12 to 8,760. Satellite imagery taken in May 2022 shows at least 655 rooftop PV systems per 1 square mile, one of the highest installation densities in the world.
According to a report released by CSIS in November 2023, the number of PV systems in the Gaza Strip reached about 12,445. This is echoed by a local module engineer in Gaza, who estimates that at least one-third of Gaza's population and more than 50 percent of its businesses use photovoltaics.
However, after the outbreak of the conflict, the IDF launched a strike on a large number of photovoltaic power plants, citing the possible use of photovoltaic modules for military purposes.
A large-scale rooftop photovoltaic plant on the Blue Coast before the outbreak of the conflict in August 2023
(Image source: CSIS; note: Sobi PV Network)
After the conflict broke out in November 2023, the rooftop power station was blown up
(Image source: CSIS; note: Sobi PV Network)
A satellite image from November 11, 2023, showed that 17 of the 29 large-scale PV plants (100 square meters or larger) in a one-square-mile sample area were damaged to varying degrees. Although some of the PV systems were spared, they were hampered by the collapse of Gaza's power grid, which prevented them from properly drawing the power they needed to operate.
Only a small off-grid system can provide a small amount of power, which is basically not enough to support the electricity demand of a refrigerator, and can only be used to charge mobile phones and power electric lights.
Image source: Euronews
Still, PV remains a lifeline for the people of Gaza in their difficult situation.
Yamen Hamad, a local resident, said the power outage had brought livelihoods to a halt and severely affected communications and water supplies. In this context, photovoltaic facilities have become an important way for them to connect with the outside world and obtain the necessary electricity. Despite the simplicity and high demand for charging facilities, people are still willing to wait in line for a scarce supply of electricity.
Image source: Euronews
The skyrocketing price of PV modules in the Gaza Strip not only reveals the severity of the local resource scarcity and humanitarian crisis, but also highlights the importance of renewable energy in extreme situations.
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