It is not that the radio chose solar power because of unavailability of electricity but because unreliable power supply was making transmission erratic. “We opted for solar power after facing load-shedding and low voltage,” said Hari Shankar Neupane, a technician with Radio Karnali.
Though electricity supply has become fairly reliable in Jumla for the past one year, the radio station switched over to solar power after having to face power outages, thanks to the initiative by locals.
Radio Karnali set up a three kilovolt solar plant on November 19, 2007. Today, the FM station is powered by the solar plant for nine hours every day. The station uses solar power for broadcasting, recording and editing.
Neupane, who recalls losing a transformer owing to irregular power supply, said, “We no longer have to worry about losing any equipment.”
When charged fully, the solar plant can power the FM station for 12 hours. On days when the plant isn´t sufficiently charged owing to poor sunlight, the radio depends on electricity.
Operating radio with solar power is expensive, though. The solar plant cost the radio Rs 2.6 million. Min Bahadur Shahi, chairman of Radio Karnali, and also chairman of Community Radio Broadcasters´ Association, said, “It is good to operate FM station with solar power. But FM stations cannot purchase such plant with their own earnings.”
Related story
Tapping into the sun
