Some new additions to the roof of Dong Xuan Market will pave the way for more green developments in the city to come.
As Saigon Times reports, Hanoi authorities gave the nod of approval to a pilot project to install solar panels atop Dong Xuan Market in Hoan Kiem District to cut down pollution and promote green energy. It’s the first traditional market in the capital to receive the upgrade.
The plan includes the installment of 600 photovoltaic panels spanning 18% of the roof’s surface area. These modules are expected to generate 198 kWp of energy in total. The majority of the project’s EUR274,000 (VND7.7 billion) cost is covered by German nonprofit Servicestelle Kommunen in der Einen Welt (SKEW) while the rest comes from financial sources mobilized by the district government.
The pilot program will run from now until November 30, 2022. Should the final results prove optimistic, Hanoi officials will expand it to other venues within the district.
The bulk of Vietnam’s power has historically come from burning fossil fuels. While such materials still make up the majority of local energy generation, recent years have seen a rapid rise in green energy such as solar power. In the first half of 2019, 86 solar projects were added to the national grid, accounting for 10% of the country’s total power capacity.
Down south, Saigon has also witnessed a rise in rooftop solar systems. Over 5,400 photovoltaic systems were installed across the city in 2020, bringing the total number to over 11,000. Alas, these solar projects only make up 2% of Saigon’s total power generation capacity, though there are some plans to increase the figure.
[Photo via Flicker user Shankar S.]
