Sun rising on renewables

The world’s first solar-lit tunnel will soon be built in Lebanon. The only other venture into solar tunnels was in Belgium last year, but this project was for powering high-speed trains and not for lighting. Based in Chekka, the 400-meter long tunnel will be solar equipped by the end of July. The solar panels placed at the entrance and exit of the tunnel will replace the diesel generators while standard electricity remains in place. Though the cost of the project was not disclosed as Executive went to print, Marwan Zantout, chief executive officer of Lebanon-based Solarleb, the company behind the project, says, “The total cost of the project amounts to the cost the municipality spends on diesel for the tunnel in two years.” Zantout adds that he is excited about the project, his company’s second large-scale solar development in Lebanon. He says he believes that awareness for solar energy will