The US embassy in Phnom Penh marked Earth Day last week by introducing to the public its new solar panel installation which will eventually provide 18 percent of its energy needs.
According to William Heidt, the US Ambassador, this is the first installation of its kind on an embassy in the kingdom.
“We chose to do this project because we want to protect the environment that we all share. The US embassy is proud to have made this investment in Cambodia’s environmental future,” the ambassador said.
The installation, composed of 940 panels mounted on the building’s roof, came at a cost of nearly $1 million, and will save the embassy about $65,000 a year.
The investment will be recouped in less than 19 years due to savings in energy costs, Mr Heidt said yesterday.
Generating nearly 18 percent of the embassy’s energy needs, he said the installation could power 240 homes in Cambodia.
“Solar panels like these are an investment in the future. They help protect the environment and demonstrate that renewable energy investments can work in Cambodia.
