By Berio Mbala WINDHOEK A company intending to harness Namibia’s abundant solar and wind energy for the generation of affordable and cheaper electricity was launched last Friday. Bravio Investment Company feels its energy instruments would contribute to Namibia’s economic competitiveness, as documented in the country’s Energy Policy and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as well as the government’s development goals. Bravio Investment Company is a joint venture forged between foreign investors who have experience in the field of renewable energy technology, hygienic instrumentation and outdoor advertising and marketing together with advertising counter partners. Chairman of Bravio Investments, Dirk Conradie, said: “The solar lighting and appliances company will give Namibia relief and peace of mind in their electricity and hygienic needs, which is reliably efficient, cost effective, safe and environmentally friendly.” The company’s preliminary research indicated that “most”companies, schools, hospitals, ordinary people and embassies “are struggling to pay their electricity bills,” hence, its objectives are to provide a fair tariff, a reliable, safe, efficient and effective energy solution. It will also cater for the hygienic requirements for low-income households. Conradie said the company would like to empower local solar technicians with the knowledge of manufacturing some of the products and systems by appointing them as regional technical, sales and agent distributors within the 13 regions of Namibia. The company would be able to train and produce skilled local technicians with the help of the Polytechnic of Namibia in the school of Engineering and Information Technology. Dean of Students in the school of Engineering and Information Technology of the Polytechnic of Namibia, Zacchaeus Oyedokum, said the Po-lytechnic of Namibia was ready to host and train electricians and technicians as the country’s own skilled people. “Since we depend on energy, we are about to complete the cycle of the energy resources. In the past, people used bio-fuel, wind energy and many others as sources of energy, but today, because of new technology, we are currently with solar energy which is mostly dependable on the sun’s energy and can be the most cheapest for all mankind,” he said. “We would like the solar lighting and appliance companies to spread throughout the country and to offer the sources of energy at all times,” he added. A representative from the Ministry of Mines and Energy, Deputy Director of Petroleum Gas, Immanuel Nghishoongele, said that because of the problem of climate change, it is the duty of people the world over to act as quickly as possible by stopping the use of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas which can lead to the depletion of the ozone layer. He said, a “few weeks ago, scientists warned that the world must halt greenhouse gas emissions and reverse them within two decades or watch the planet spiralling towards destruction which includes hundreds of millions of people going hungry, entire species being wiped out, and diseases reaching pandemic proportions.” He also noted that rapid increase in the use of renewable sources of energy like solar, wind and biomass, is one key way out of the current problem. Chief Executive Officer, Soko Selias called on Namibians to make use of this dependable, efficient and affordable source of energy produced from renewable energy sources which can be converted from solar energy into electricity such as solar panels, solar-powered billboards and solar heaters and geysers.