GIZ REEE Programme, Solar Street Lighting and Energy Efficiency Audits for Bekaa Municipalities
Project: GIZ REEE Programme, Lebanon (Solar Street Lighting & Energy Efficiency Audits)
Service: Consulting
Location: Lebanon, Bekaa region (Hawsh El Harimi, Baakline, Saghbine, Temnine El Fawqa, Machghara, Brital, Talya)
Client: GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit)
Program: REEE, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
Status: Ongoing, launched August 2025, in progress as of July 2026
Lebanon’s unstable national grid and rising fuel costs have turned energy efficiency and solar street lighting into a lifeline for public infrastructure, not a discretionary upgrade. Under its Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (REEE) work, GIZ engaged FREE energy as consulting engineer to deliver ASHRAE Level II energy audits and design solar street lighting (SSL) systems across multiple municipalities in Lebanon’s Bekaa region, supporting the country’s agricultural productivity, SME resilience, and community stabilization goals.
The scope combines two complementary work streams. First, ASHRAE Level II energy audits assess building performance at public community centers in Baakline and Brital, identifying practical, low-cost conservation measures suited to public-sector budgets. Second, FREE energy designed solar street lighting systems for villages across the Bekaa area, including Saghbine, Hawsh El Harimi, Talya, Brital, Temnine El Fawqa, and Machghara, with FREE energy supervising the on-ground installation carried out by the program’s implementation contractors, restoring reliable public lighting in communities affected by grid instability and improving safety and quality of life.
A representative case study from Hawsh El Harimi illustrates the scale of the problem: nearly 80% of existing street lighting fixtures were found non-operational. The proposed shift to standalone solar units is projected to deliver annual energy savings of 128,816 kWh and cut operating costs by roughly $34,780 per year, with a 7.2-year payback period, while also reducing emissions, improving public safety, and easing municipal reliance on grid electricity and diesel backup.
As of July 2026, the program remains in progress. To date, more than 1,200 solar street lights have been installed under FREE energy’s design and supervision, benefiting 7 villages nationwide, alongside energy efficiency upgrades at 2 community centers that have achieved an average 69% reduction in energy consumption. As one of the most socially impactful engagements in its portfolio, this program demonstrates FREE energy’s ability to deliver development-cooperation energy consulting, spanning ASHRAE energy audits, solar street lighting design, and site supervision, in close partnership with international development agencies across Lebanon.
