solar energy - The African Mirror

Mar

2023

Solar energy takes off in Africa

BONFACE ORUCHO, BIRD STORY AGENCY AFRICA is unlocking its vast solar energy potential to provide affordable and sustainable electricity not only to rural communities but also to commercial and industrial segments. According to the Africa Solar Industry Association's Solar Outlook 2023 report, the commercial and industrial segment registered a year-on-year growth of 61.5% in the previous year. Overall, nearly 1 GW (949 MW) of additional solar energy was installed across the continent in 2022, a 14% year-on-year increment from the 833MW added to the grid in 2021. With 284 MW, Angola had the most installations in 2022. The top five…

Feb

2023

By The African Mirror

Kenya to set up 136 solar mini-grids for remote communities

NEWS

DUNCAN MIRIRI KENYA is constructing 136 solar-powered mini-grids in far-flung areas not properly served by the national electricity grid, the country's energy minister said. Off-grid solar power, spearheaded by start-ups, has gained popularity in Africa in recent years for homes left off mainstream electricity grids. There are more than 3,000 installed solar mini-grids in sub-Saharan Africa, up from 500 in 2010, the World Bank said. Another 9,000 are planned, according to the bank, including the ones to be constructed in Kenya. "The national electricity grid is yet to reach some parts of the country," Energy Minister Davis Chirchir said at…

Nov

2022

By The African Mirror

How green is my President? Liberia’s George Weah is leading the shift to clean energy

NEWS

LAYMAH KOLLIE, BIRD STORY AGENCY AS soon as he assumed office in 2018, Liberian President George Weah, a global soccer star, decided to embrace renewable energy as part of his bid to effect socio-economic transformation in his country. His goal, as outlined in his plan, was to "eradicate poverty amongst Liberians who had been traumatised by civil strife and improve economic growth while addressing climate change and infrastructural developments". To curb the high cost of off-grid solar energy products, Weah, in May 2022, issued an executive order suspending import tariffs on off-grid solar lighting appliances and other indirect solar energy…

Jun

2021

By The African Mirror

Why southern Africa’s interior is an ideal place to generate solar energy

SCIENCE, TECH AND INNOVATION

SOUTHERN Africa is popularly associated with sunshine. Does that make the region exceptionally suited to solar energy generation? HARTMUT WINKLER, Professor of Physics, University of Johannesburg With electricity shortages plaguing all parts of the sub-continent, a plentiful energy source that is becoming increasingly affordable to tap into seems like an ideal solution. Yet the rollout of solar power generating facilities has been very slow in the region. Most solar power developments in the sub-continent have been in South Africa. But even in the country, solar farms account for only 2.5% of the total electricity generated. Compare that to some European…

Jan

2021

By The African Mirror

Grid or solar: looking for the best energy solution for the rural poor

ENVIRONMENT

SOUTH Asia has made tremendous progress in connecting rural areas to the electricity grid but the number of people in Africa without access has scarcely changed since 2010. More than half a billion people in Africa don’t have access to electricity, meaning the continent hosts 72% of the world’s non-electrified population. The UN Sustainable Development Goals have set a universal goal of ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030. To achieve this, the continent will require a big electrification push. But what kind of electricity makes sense in rural Africa to make the most…