Taking strides in the direction of more sustainable sources of energy, the UN in Nepal recently installed a solar energy system at its country office, which was officially launched as part of World Environment Day celebrations on 5 June.

The 120 KWp capacity system, equipped with a 204 KWh lithium ion battery, will produce 196 MWh electricity annually. It is set to reduce CO2 emissions by around 52 tons per year, which is equivalent to having 86 motorcycles taken off the road and roughly the carbon footprint of 260 Nepali citizens.

The system will also power LED lights, computers, server room equipment, printers etc for up to 1.44 hours autonomously and will save $26,300 USD on electricity bills annually.

The project is a joint initiative of four UN agencies: UNDP, WHO, FAO and UNICEF, residing within the UN House premises under the technical guidance of Green Energy Solutions team, Information Management & Technology, UNDP Denmark.

At the inauguration, Country Representative of World Food Programme Pippa Bradford stated that the move was indicative of the UN’s commitment to “practicing what we preach”, expressing her hope that it would “inspire organizations and individuals to take action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and create a renewable energy future.”

Bradford was accompanied by the Director of the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre Nawaraj Dhakal and other heads of UN agencies in Nepal in launching the new system.