Lebanon is indeed a country of contradictions, unmatched by any other place. The one who established the wonders of the world and set them to number 7 clearly knows nothing about Lebanon; otherwise, the number would exceed 70. Isn't it a wonder that we are in the age of globalization, where countries around us operate their facilities with robots and governance is present in every corner, while Lebanon remains without electricity 24/7 and has a Minister of Electric Energy that political forces fight over during the formation of any new government?
Among the odd contradictions concerning electricity, which can only be found in Lebanon, is the existence of multiple apartments in the same building: one uses electricity for lighting, another is powered by a generator (subscription), a third by solar energy, a fourth by a private generator, a fifth by batteries and neon lights, and another has no lighting at all because it cannot afford the cost of its connection.
The rise in fuel prices, along with the tremendous surge in generator bills, has led many households in Akkar and Tripoli to abandon their generator subscriptions altogether. Faced with the continuous power outages from the state, these families had no choice but to find solutions to light their homes and operate refrigerators and other devices. The first solution for the residents of Akkar was to consider installing solar energy systems. In this context, those who managed to install solar energy systems, even to a minimal extent, resorted to this solution, while those who could not had to sleep in darkness, waiting for another day.
Despite the high costs of solar energy systems, which are priced in fresh dollars, they do not provide a complete solution that meets all the needs of homes as regular electricity does. Even those who installed solar energy systems understand that they cannot power air conditioners, especially during night time when the need is greatest, as the batteries cannot accommodate the electricity demands of air conditioners. From here, the search began for air conditioners that consume less energy, referred to as inverter air conditioners.
A new problem arose: how to secure money to buy them in dollars? Consequently, some Akkar residents who installed solar systems began looking for buyers for their existing air conditioners to secure dollars to purchase lower energy-consuming models. Meanwhile, those who own private generators are also looking for buyers to acquire funds for purchasing solar panels or to help with the challenging living conditions, as there is no longer the capability to operate them due to the ongoing rise in fuel prices. However, the journey to sell this electrical equipment is not easy, as no one wants to get involved with a generator that they cannot fuel, or an air conditioner that will remain idle due to lack of electricity.
