Burundi Rural Electrification PV Project

In 2024, Burundi launched a large-scale rural electrification project supported by international renewable energy funds, aiming to solve the severe energy shortage in remote rural areas. A local renewable energy enterprise undertook this key project, which covered 12 remote villages in Karusi Province and aimed to provide stable, clean photovoltaic (PV) power to more than 40,000 rural residents. The project also included supporting power supply for community infrastructure such as rural schools and health centers, which is an important part of Burundi’s national sustainable development strategy by 2040. As the core connection component of the PV system, cables directly determine the stability, safety and service life of the entire project. After strict screening and comparison, the client finally chose Dongguan GERITEL Electrical Co., Ltd. as the exclusive cable supplier. This case details how we used H1Z2Z2-K Solar Cable, H07ZZ-F and H05V-K cables to help the client solve core pain points and successfully complete the rural electrification project, highlighting our advantages in project experience, product quality and pre-sales service.

1. Client Core Pain Points

Burundi is a typical developing country in East Africa, where rural areas suffer from severe energy shortages—less than 15% of rural households have access to stable electricity. Most rural residents still rely on firewood and diesel generators for daily lighting and production, which not only pollutes the environment but also limits the development of local education and medical care. The client, a local renewable energy company with rich experience in PV project operation, won the bid for this rural electrification project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The project involved installing PV modules, inverters and distribution cabinets in 12 remote villages, and the cables needed to adapt to the harsh outdoor environment of Burundi, including high temperatures, heavy rainfall, strong UV radiation and occasional soil erosion.

During the supplier selection stage, the client encountered four key pain points that almost delayed the project progress. First, it was difficult to find a supplier with practical experience in African rural PV projects. Many cable manufacturers contacted by the client only had experience in small-scale urban PV installations and did not understand the unique environmental and technical requirements of rural Burundi, such as the need for cables to have strong humidity resistance, UV resistance and mechanical damage resistance. Second, product quality and certification were the biggest concerns. The project required cables to meet European standards and international authoritative certifications to pass local inspection. Inferior cables would not only lead to frequent system failures but also pose serious fire risks, endangering the safety of tens of thousands of rural residents—a problem that the client had encountered in previous cooperation with other suppliers, resulting in project delays and economic losses. Third, the client urgently needed a supplier that could provide free sample testing. Due to the previous bad experience, they hoped to verify the cable performance through actual tests before mass purchase to ensure that it met the project requirements. Fourth, the project had a tight schedule. The client had promised the local government and residents to complete the electrification task within a specified time, so fast delivery of cables was crucial to avoid breaking the promise.

After investigating more than 10 international cable suppliers, the client finally turned to Dongguan GERITEL Electrical Co., Ltd. Our 10+ years of overseas PV cable export experience, numerous successful African project cases, complete product certification system and free sample service perfectly matched the client’s needs, laying the foundation for subsequent cooperation.

2. Cable Selection & Specification Matching

After in-depth communication with the client, we fully grasped the specific needs of the project: cables must adapt to Burundi’s harsh outdoor environment, meet the technical requirements of PV system operation, and match different installation scenarios (PV module connection, indoor distribution, battery connection and high-power equipment power supply). Based on these needs, we recommended three core cable models and tailored their specifications to ensure optimal performance and cost-effectiveness, which solved the client’s selection troubles.

2.1 H1Z2Z2-K Solar Cable: Core Cable for PV System Connection

For the connection between PV modules, inverters and junction boxes—the core part of the PV system—the client initially considered ordinary PV1-F cables, but we suggested replacing them with H1Z2Z2-K Solar Cable after analyzing the project environment. The biggest difference between the two is that the ordinary PV1-F cable has a DC voltage rating of only 1.0kV, which is only suitable for small-scale low-power PV systems, while the H1Z2Z2-K Solar Cable has a DC voltage rating of 1.5kV and an AC rating of 1.0/1.0kV, which can better adapt to the high-power PV system of this project and ensure more stable power transmission.

According to the different connection needs of the project, we provided a variety of specifications of H1Z2Z2-K Solar Cable: 1×4mm² and 1×6mm² for series connection between PV modules, 2×4mm² and 2×6mm² for parallel connection between PV strings and DC distribution boxes. In total, the client purchased 8,500 meters of H1Z2Z2-K Solar Cable. This cable uses 99.9% high-purity tinned copper conductor, which has excellent electrical conductivity and corrosion resistance, and can effectively avoid signal loss and cable damage caused by harsh environments. Its insulation layer and sheath are made of halogen-free flame-retardant cross-linked polyolefin, which can resist UV radiation, high and low temperatures (-40℃ to +90℃), humidity and acid-base corrosion. The minimum bending radius of 6D makes it easy to install in the narrow spaces of rural PV installations, and its 25-year service life can avoid frequent maintenance and replacement in remote areas, which perfectly solves the client’s worry about difficult later maintenance.

2.2 H07ZZ-F: Flexible Cable for Indoor & Equipment Connection

For indoor distribution cabinets, PV inverters and portable maintenance equipment in the project, we recommended H07ZZ-F cable, which is more suitable than ordinary PVC cables. Ordinary PVC cables are hard and easy to crack in cold environments, and will emit toxic and harmful gases when burned, which does not meet the safety requirements of rural community infrastructure such as schools and health centers. The H07ZZ-F cable uses halogen-free cross-linked rubber insulation and sheath, which emits low smoke and non-toxic gas in case of fire, reducing harm to people and equipment. It also has excellent flexibility, which is convenient for bending and installation in tight indoor spaces.

The client purchased 4,200 meters of H07ZZ-F cable in multiple specifications: 2×1.5mm², 3×2.5mm² and 4×4mm² for indoor wiring of distribution cabinets and inverters, and 1×6mm² for connecting portable maintenance equipment. The cable conforms to VDE 0295 Class 5 fine copper strands, which ensures its flexibility, and meets the flame retardant requirements of IEC 60332-1-2 and EN 50525-3-21 Class C, providing double safety guarantee for indoor power supply. At the same time, it has passed VDE certification and meets the requirements of the EU Low Voltage Directive (2014/35/EU), ensuring smooth local inspection.

2.3 H05V-K: Versatile Cable for Low-Voltage & High-Power Applications

For low-voltage indoor wiring (such as lighting and small electrical appliances in rural community centers), battery connection and high-power indoor equipment power supply, we recommended H05V-K cable—a cost-effective and reliable option that meets CE, HAR and VDE standards. Compared with other low-voltage cables, H05V-K has better wear resistance and electrical stability, which is suitable for long-term use in rural community facilities with high usage frequency.

The client purchased 6,800 meters of H05V-K cable in a variety of specifications, including 1×1.5mm², 1×2.5mm², 1×4mm² and 1×6mm² for ordinary low-voltage indoor wiring, 1×16mm², 1×35mm² for battery connection, and the key keyword 1x25mm H05V-K for high-power indoor equipment connection (such as large-capacity distribution terminals). The 1x25mm H05V-K cable has a 300/500V voltage rating, which can stably supply power for high-power equipment, avoiding voltage instability and equipment damage. Its PVC insulation layer and flexible conductor are suitable for conduit laying and surface wiring, and it also meets NFPA 79 industrial machinery standards, ensuring compatibility with various electrical equipment in the project.

3. Authoritative Certification & Strict Quality Control

The client attached great importance to the safety and reliability of cables, because the project was related to the daily life and safety of more than 40,000 rural residents. To solve the client’s worries, we focused on highlighting our authoritative certification advantages and strict quality control system—two core advantages that distinguish us from other suppliers.

All cables provided for this project have passed international authoritative certifications:H1Z2Z2-K Solar Cable has TÜV, CE and ISO certifications, fully complying with European standard EN 50618:2014; H07ZZ-F cable has VDE certification and meets the requirements of the EU Low Voltage Directive; H05V-K cable has CE and VDE certifications, ensuring that it fully meets European standards and local inspection requirements in Burundi. These certifications not only enabled the cables to pass local inspection smoothly but also gave the client sufficient confidence in the long-term safety and reliability of the products.

In addition to authoritative certifications, we implemented strict quality control throughout the production process. From the selection of raw materials (high-purity tinned copper, high-quality insulation and sheath materials) to production, testing and packaging, each link was supervised by professional technicians. We conducted multiple strict tests on the cables, including electrical conductivity, insulation resistance, flame retardancy, low-temperature resistance and UV resistance, ensuring that every batch of cables met the project’s technical requirements. Before mass delivery, we provided free samples of the three cable models for the client to test, simulating the outdoor high-temperature, high-humidity and strong UV environment in Burundi, as well as the indoor wiring environment. The test results fully met the project requirements, which further strengthened the client’s trust in our product quality.

4. Fast & Efficient Logistics Support

The client attached great importance to the delivery speed, because any delay would affect the project progress and the promise of electrification to local residents. After confirming the order, we gave priority to the production of cables for this project, optimized the production schedule, and completed the production of all 19,500 meters of cables (8,500m of H1Z2Z2-K Solar Cable, 4,200m of H07ZZ-F and 6,800m of H05V-K) in a shorter time than the industry average, perfectly meeting the client’s urgent delivery needs.

To ensure the smooth transportation of cables to Burundi, we cooperated with professional international logistics companies with rich experience in African routes, arranged sea freight to Bujumbura Port in Burundi, and provided door-to-door delivery service. We also prepared all necessary customs clearance documents in advance, including certification reports, commercial invoices and packing lists, to avoid delays caused by document errors. During the transportation process, we tracked the cargo status in real time and updated the client every 3 days, so that the client could grasp the arrival time of the cables at any time. Finally, the cables arrived at the project site ahead of schedule, ensuring that the PV installation work could proceed as planned.

5. Project Outcomes & Client Feedback

With our high-quality cables and professional support, the Burundi rural electrification PV project was completed smoothly and put into operation in early 2025. At present, the 12 remote villages have stable access to clean PV power, benefiting more than 40,000 rural residents. The cables have performed excellently in the harsh outdoor environment of Burundi: H1Z2Z2-K Solar Cable has maintained stable transmission efficiency even under intense UV radiation and heavy rainfall, without any signal loss or cable damage; H07ZZ-F cable has shown excellent flexibility and flame retardancy in indoor installations, ensuring the safety of indoor power supply; H05V-K cable (including 1x25mm H05V-K) has stably supplied power for various indoor equipment and batteries, avoiding voltage instability and equipment failure.

The client was highly satisfied with our products and services. They summarized the key reasons for their satisfaction: our rich experience in African PV projects allowed us to quickly understand their needs and provide tailored cable solutions, avoiding the trouble of blind selection; the high-quality cables with complete authoritative certifications ensured the long-term stability and safety of the project, solving their biggest worry about product quality; the free sample service allowed them to verify the product performance before mass purchase, eliminating the risk of quality problems; the fast delivery speed ensured the project schedule was met, helping them fulfill their promise to the local government and residents. Compared with other suppliers considered before, our cables have better performance and cost-effectiveness, and our professional after-sales support (including technical guidance on cable installation and maintenance) also brought them a good cooperation experience. The client said that they would take us as the first choice for cable suppliers in subsequent rural electrification projects.

6. Cooperation Value & Call to Action

The Burundi rural electrification PV project is a typical example of Dongguan GERITEL Electrical Co., Ltd. providing high-quality cable solutions for overseas renewable energy projects. We deeply understand the unique challenges of PV projects in developing countries, such as harsh environmental conditions, strict certification requirements and tight construction schedules, and we have the experience, products and services to solve these challenges.

Our core advantages are obvious: first, rich project experience—we have completed numerous PV cable export projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America, and are familiar with the local technical standards and environmental requirements of various regions; second, high-quality products—all our cables pass international authoritative certifications (TUV, CE, ISO, VDE) and undergo strict quality control, ensuring reliability and safety; third, thoughtful services—we provide free sample testing, tailored specification matching, fast delivery and professional after-sales support, solving all worries of clients in the cooperation process; fourth, cost-effectiveness—we provide competitive prices on the premise of ensuring product quality, helping clients reduce project costs.

If you are undertaking a PV project, rural electrification project or any other electrical project that requires high-quality cables, Dongguan GERITEL Electrical Co., Ltd. is your most reliable partner. We can provide you with tailored cable solutions, high-quality and certified products, and efficient and thoughtful services to help you successfully complete the project and achieve your development goals.

Contact us today to discuss your project needs and get a free quote:

Dongguan GERITEL Electrical Co., Ltd.

Tel/WhatsApp/WeChat: +86 135 1078 4550 / +86 136 6257 9592

Email: manager01@greaterwire.com

We look forward to cooperating with you and creating more successful projects together!