Luanda - The United States of America (USA) scientist and university teacher, Luis Fernandez, Monday here acknowledged the great potential that Angola has to implement projects in the renewable energy sector, which could help in the development of the country.

The specialist said so to the press, on the sidelines of the conference on "Renewable Energy", started on Friday, promoted by the Ministry of Energy and Water (Minea) in partnership with the embassy of the United States of America (USA).

According to the researcher, Angola has great potential to create projects in the renewable energy field, but for that it is important to invest more and more, especially in rural and isolated areas that have no access to the public network.

Although the government is committed to the electrification of the country, Luis Fernandez said that this process can be time-consuming and in order to resolve this situation the authorities should invest in solar panels, wind systems and small hydro-electric to supply power to remote communities far from urban areas.

"Angola can start with small projects, a challenge that will have to start with small but firm steps as it is done in other parts of Africa such as Cameroon, Kenya and Mozambique," he exemplified.

The use of these systems, he advanced, contributes to the reduction of defloration, low price of tariff costs, helps raise the living standard and promotes the production of cleaner, healthy and environmentally-friendly energy.

"In many parts of the country, the population use wood as their source of energy, harming the natural flora and fauna, in particular, but the implementation of renewable energy can reduce the cutting of trees, as well as improve the state of health, since the inhalation of smoke from burning firewood is causing various diseases to humans," he said.

He explained that the use of renewable energy will help improve the welfare of the people who have to walk several miles in search of firewood, as well as prevent the occurrence of possible fires and air pollution, as well as smoke from fires.

The scientist also defended the need for Angola to exchange experiences with countries and institutions that are more advanced in this regard, as well as encourage more the private sector to improve and develop sustainable renewable energy industry.

He suggested that the private sector can intervene in the technological field, micro-finance projects and training of technicians to ensure the continuity of the process.

Luis Fernandez is a researcher at the Carnegie Institute of Sciences, at the Department of Global Ecology, and a visiting professor at Stanford University in the USA.

He is also an environmental scientist from Argonne National Laboratory, based in the Division of Environmental Sciences, and his work focuses on the environmental impacts of renewable energy production, particularly on matters related to climate change and the changes resulting from the use of soils.

The event, that is due to close today, is being attended by representatives from the energy and water sector, senior officials of the U.S.

Embassy, academics, students, among other people, especially the Secretaries of State for Water and Energy Luís Filipe da Silva and Joao Baptista Borges, respectively.