Since 2018, six pilot solar mini-grids are giving 15,000 people access to reliable electricity in Nigeria. Those people no longer rely on diesel generators to light homes and run small businesses such as grain mills, cocoa drying and welding operations, carpentry workshops, and small restaurants and hotels. The solar mini-grids Read more…
Africa is the leading place to power places far from the grid using diesel generators. Entire villages, companies or sites are powered only by electricity produced by such diesel generators. Until recently, solar PV was considered as an add-on to these generators, with the ability to reduce their fuel consumption Read more…
Digitalization is currently playing a big role in fostering access to electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa. Since the early 2010s, companies have been adapting traditional business models for the installation of Solar Home Systems (SHS) to the specific African context where the rural populations have limited means to pay for its Read more…
Kenya is endowed with high solar insulation averaging at 4.5kWh/m2/day. Generally, being in the equator, Kenya has a higher potential of solar PV than many other nations. As a means of promoting private sector involvement in solar PV, the government has provided for an opportunity for local and international investors Read more…
The deployment of solar PV is mainly driven by Egypt (660 MW), Morocco (606 MW) and Algeria (519 MW) in Northern Africa and by Lesotho (79 MW) and South-Africa (1,815 MW) in Southern Africa. Not surprisingly those are the countries which combine official renewable energy targets, PV policies and support Read more…
The Marco Borero Company has recently closed the financing for its solar photovoltaic project in Nyeri in central Kenya. The solar power plant that will be linked to the grid will have a capacity of 1.5 MWp. The Nyeri solar project is now arriving at the construction phase. Marco Borero Read more…
New Kenya Cooperative Creameries has recently concluded the initial phase of a tender to purchase electricity from a solar facility that will be constructed at its new KCC Sotik Factory. The installation is likely to cover around 40% of the site’s power needs. Kenyaâ largest dairy producer will buy power Read more…
GAKUNGA, Kenya (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – When Lucyline Wanja Silas installed a 12-volt solar power unit at her home to help her children study at night, little did she know it would become essential to her and her neighbours in Gakunga village, central Kenya, during the coronavirus pandemic. Wanja, a Read more…