Solar energy in sub-Saharan Africa

Latest Articles

17/04/2026
Sendea Institute for Energy and Management Ltd

A gender-just energy transition is critical for socio-economic development and tackling climate change, particularly in the Global South. In Uganda, while the renewable energy sector is steadily growing, it remains largely male-dominated, with women comprising only 30% of the workforce—mostly in entry-level or administrative roles.

The Three Barriers Keeping 600 Million Africans in the Dark

14/04/2026
News Ghana
Article

As the world accelerates toward a clean energy future and governments make sweeping pledges about renewables and net zero targets, a sobering reality persists across Africa. Nearly 600 million people, roughly 43 percent of the continent’s population, still live without access to electricity.

Ghana and Ethiopia: Two case studies on Rural Solar Electrification in Sub-Saharan Africa

07/04/2026
Moses Arthur Baidoo, Wang ZhiCheng , Liu Qi , Zhou ShuMin , Hu YaoDong , Liu Wen
Article

Ghana has been a leader in adopting solar energy initiatives to meet the needs of its rural population. Of particular interest is the country’s approach to rural electrification through its solar mini-grids strategy, where Ghana expects renewable solar energy to help solve its power shortages while also stimulating economic growth

Integrating Agrivoltaics with Batteries for Rural Energy and Food Security in West Africa

01/04/2026
Patrick Dapaa Kwao and David Bernell
Article

Power system managers around the world are increasingly facing significant challenges with expanding and sustaining the integration of solar energy technologies. This is the result of both its variable generation and the rapid pace of market growth.

Mini‑grids can supply electricity, but what about demand? A private DRC project shows how it can work

28/03/2026
Nik Stoop, Elie Lunanga, Marijke Verpoorten and Sébastien Desbureaux
Article

More than 560 million people in sub-Saharan Africa live without electricity. About 384 million live in countries classified by the World Bank as conflict-affected, where poverty, insecurity and weak institutions make large energy infrastructure investments risky.

A Farewell to Sun-Connect (Advance Notice)

25/03/2026
Sun-Connect News
Article

After 15 years, we will be discontinuing our service for the off-grid sector. Since 2010, we have been providing up-to-date information, in-depth analysis, and practical insights for experts and practitioners. What began as a small news platform has grown over the years into one of the leading information sources for decentralized energy.

The Precision Transition: Designing Africa’s power systems for reality, not abstraction

24/03/2026
Louis Strydom
Article

Last year, I argued in my piece “Lean Carbon, Just Power”, that a limited and temporary increase in African carbon emissions is justified to meet the continent’s urgent electrification needs.

How solar is powering maternal care and immunisation in rural Uganda

18/03/2026
John Musenze
Article

In rural Uganda a lack of reliable power means mothers are often forced to give birth in the dark. Now a new solarisation project is bringing light and reliable electricity to health centres across the country.