The Edo State Government on Thursday commissioned the first energy-efficient building, entirely powered by solar energy, in Benin, the state capital.

Speaking shortly after the commissioning, the Deputy Governor, Dr. Pius Odubu, described the initiative as a laudable innovation which would reduce cost of power generation for both rural business persons and the country at large.

He, however, urged other corporate bodies in the power sector to cue into the idea for wider benefits, especially for low income earners at the grassroots.

Odubu said, “I want to commend your effort and to appreciate you greatly, particularly coming at a point when electricity supply is at the lowest ebb.

“I want to charge you to work on it to make sure people in our rural areas have access to electricity.

Earlier, the management of Havillahtrend Engineering Consult and Construction Limited, the firm responsible for the construction of the new facility explained that the entire building called Ehiorobo House, located in downtown Benin City, was powered by 16KVA solar panels capable of saving up to 90 per cent of electricity bills.

Speaking with journalists, the Chief Executive of the company, Dr. Robinson Ehiorobo, noted that being the first of its kind in the state, the building had a lighting load of only 150watts per floor as opposed to 1.6kw in standard designs.

Dr. Ehiorobo also expressed optimism that innovation would encourage local contractors and engineers in the quest to uplift the power sector.