Solar and Renewables

Moving ahead with the UNOPS, UKAID and the Presidential Recovery Priority engaging in the process for the implementation of the Rural Renewable Energy Project (RREP) of 50 minigrids almost completed + 40 to come in 2018 all across Sierra Leone. A two days conference and networking event was organized for all stakeholders in the Renewable Energy Sector (Solar specifically) and both local and international bidders for the ongoing and future minigrids project. Lots of information sharing and discussions during this period. Some of these investors were here for a week or even less, at the end of the programme after all the presentations from NRA, EPA, EWRC, MoE etc.

Solar and Renewables

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Global Voices: African entrepreneurs point the way forward

>>> Nigeria’s undersized energy grid barely provides enough electricity for one quarter of the nation’s 190 million citizens. Even then, it’s often just a few hours of power a day. Most Nigerians rely on small, gas-powered generators in homes and small businesses. Apart from environmental and health damage, fuel is an unwelcome cost in a country where the average yearly income is just $3,596 US.

Ademola Adesina saw his country’s power problem as an opportunity. Using a pay-as-you-go leasing model, Adesina’s start-up, Rensource, replaces gas generators with hybrid solar-battery systems. There are no emissions and the monthly fee is less than the upkeep of a generator. Since launching in February, Rensource has installed 500 solar systems. Over five years, the company plans to replace 500,000 gas generators with renewable energy.

With African nations undergoing a business renaissance, Adesina represents the continent’s rising entrepreneurial class. He’s among those finding a profitable niche by taking on social and environmental challenges.

“It’s all that I see in Nigeria. The most viable and successful businesses target some sort of [social or environmental] impact,” Adesina says.

timescolonist.com At any given moment, across Nigeria, more than 12 million gas-powered generators are running. They churn out megatons of greenhouse gas annually, and sometimes kill entire families with their fumes. . .

Exactly one year ago, Power for All teamed up with Sierra Leone’s leadership and Energy Africa to launch the "Energy Revolution", a bold initiative of electricity for all by 2025. It has resulted in a case study of market activation, and offers a roadmap for how other countries and especially SL with the political will can do the same. However more concentration should be placed towards alternative energy, the abundance of renewable resources across Africa present the most obvious and compelling answer. Africa boast a wealth of opportunities across Solar, wind, hydro and geothermal technologies. The continent has well over 10TW of Solar potential, 350GW of hydroelectric potential, 110GW of wind potential and additional 15GW of geothermal potential. Renewable Energy can play a big part in reducing the cost of power by EDSA. However this universal energy access will lift millions in SL out of poverty and end dependence on aid. Work in Progress...........

Solar Market Background Information
Solar electric energy demand has grown significantly over the past 20 years against a backdrop of rapidly declining costs and prices. This decline in cost has been driven by economies of manufacturing scale, manufacturing technology improvements, and the increasing efficiency of solar cells.
In 2009, the photovoltaic solar industry generated $38.5 billion in revenues globally, which includes the sale of solar modules and associated equipment, and the installation of solar systems. Various forecast scenarios, which depending on the factors, see growth in the world PV market from $46.3 billion to $96.8 billion in 2014. PV installations grew to 7.3 GW in 2009, up 20% from the prior year. Forecast scenarios predict demand rising to 15.437 GW in 2014, more than five times the size of the 2009 market. The worldwide on-grid segment grew by 20% in 2009, and the off-grid market grew 23% in 2009, faster than on-grid for the first time in 15 years but on a much smaller base. There is an increasing focus on micro-finance to improve the affordability of solar PV systems, which may be economical over their lifetime but have high initial costs. Such credit schemes have been effective at a small scale, but a culture of credit does not exist yet in many developing countries. Kenya is notable for its strong commercial (un-subsidised) market, where customers opt for low power (10-20W) entry-level modules.

African solar must find its feet beyond development finance

>>> An underdeveloped financial economy with long lead times for projects is still off-putting for many commercial and private investors.

Salvador Namburete, Mozambique’s former energy minister, said at AEF that this year Mozambique had nine renewable energy projects representing over 1GW of capacity, but only four made it to implementation.

“What is the problem?” he asked. “Planning or ex*****on? Both. We need to dedicate certain amounts to feasibility studies, and need to overcome the issue of reluctance to working together. In order to induce private investment, we need market stability.”

The IFC’s Charafi insisted however that financing is not the big constraint for the African market. “The constraints remain in the issue of predictability for investors,” he said. “The question is how to unlock it.”

In terms of financing, Charafi explained that the money for projects is indeed available; firstly from African citizens who are willing to pay for energy.

“People are willing to pay, the cost of not having power is higher than the cost of having power,” he said. “The poorest of the poor are paying in excess of US$0.50/kWh for power.”

pv-tech.org Whilst African solar is still firmly an emerging market, investors have confirmed that issues remain with development finance, insofar as it is holding back the market from truly taking off. Whilst development finance institutions (DFIs) are a crucial part of allowing the market to find its feet, th...

African leaders urged to engage the use of renewable energy – Panel | News Ghana

>>> The African Development Bank’s (AfDB) New Deal on Energy for Africa has set as its target universal access to electricity across Africa by 2025. To achieve this target, the AfDB believes 160GW of new on-grid generation and some 75 million new off-grid connections will be needed, through a mix of conventional and renewable energy sources.

Our panel discussion focused on how much renewable energy can contribute towards meeting those goals. We considered why renewable energy offers such promise across Africa. The abundance of renewables resources across Africa presents the most obvious and compelling answer. Africa boasts a wealth of opportunities across solar, wind, hydro and geothermal technologies. The continent has well over 10 TW of solar potential, 350 GW of hydroelectric potential, 110 GW of wind potential and an additional 15 GW of geothermal potential.

newsghana.com.gh The extent of the power deficit across Africa is well documented and increasing electricity generation across the continent is the focus of a number of initiatives at both national and supra-national level. The role of renewable energy in generating Africa's power was the topic of discussion in a pa...