Angkor to harness solar power

SIEM REAP Apsara Authority says it will intensify efforts to  introduce solar power to serve the Angkor Archaeological Park to help protect the environment.

It is also claims to be assisting nearby communities that are not served by the electricity grid to use solar power.

Khmer Times quoted authority spokesperson, Chao Sun Kerya, saying Apsara Authority is pushing the use of solar panels across the park and also in neighbouring areas.

“Unsightly electric wires, generators and smoke from wood fires are all spoiling the beauty of the temple complex and negatively affecting the local environment, which has led authorities to promote solar power.”

She added: “In the Angkor area, we cannot put up more wires and there are already far too many, because we want to keep the World Heritage site as beautiful as possible.”

She claimed that continual advancements in solar panel technology and the lowering of production costs make it practical for the park and surrounding areas.

The Angkor Archaeological Park was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1992 and is now the country’s largest cultural tourist destination. It is located in Siem Reap province, some 315 km northwest of capital Phnom Penh.

The current entrance fees to the park are USD20, USD40, and USD60 for one-day, three-day and seven-day tickets.

The entrance fees for the park will increase from February, next year, according to the Angkor Institution, the state-owned agency in charge of Angkor’s income management.

The new fees are: One-day pass costs USD37, three-day pass USD62, and seven-day pass USD72.