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Giving a second life to Africa’s solar lights

11/10/2024
SolarAid / UNSW Sydney
Article

Of the 375 million solar energy kits that have been sold and distributed to off-grid populations around the world by the formal off-grid solar sector since the early 2000s, more than 250 million are estimated to have fallen into disrepair.

In OGS market smaller domestic firms playing a crucial role in reaching remote areas

09/10/2024
The World Bank / GOGLA
Article

In Sub-Saharan Africa, the OGS market is characterized by a diverse landscape, where both large companies and small domestic firms coexist. While large OGS companies have a broad reach, their products are often distributed through local partners.

The counterfeit components delaying Africa’s energy transition

05/10/2024
FairPlanet
Article

By just looking at a picture sent to his iPhone of a large solar battery, Phillip December could tell why his client was having problems with his solar system. “The battery is fake. Get another one if you can,” he wrote.

Solar photovoltaic manufacturing in Africa: Opportunity or mirage?

02/10/2024
Africa Policy Research Institute
Article

The new industrial age, fueled by the manufacturing of several mineral-intensive transition technologies, offers potential opportunities for industrialization and structural transformation, particularly in mineral-rich developing regions such as Africa.

The industries fuelling the climate crisis are draining public funds in the Global South

01/10/2024
ActionAid
Article

The world’s money is flowing in the wrong direction. The climate crisis is really about money: too much money is fuelling climate change, too little money is going to climate solutions, and extractive money flows are locking economies deeper into climate-destructive spirals that deepen inequality.

Powering Africa: new model compares options for off-grid solar in 43 countries

25/09/2024
Hamish Beath
Article

Sub-Saharan Africa, home to 80% of the global population without electricity access, is unlikely to reach the United Nations’ goal of access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030.

Replacing Old Technologies or Creating New Markets?: The Pros and Cons of Two Paths to Impact for Productive Use of Energy

23/09/2024
Daniel Waldron, Chris Emmott, Yash Vardhan Gaddhyan and Ruth Wairimu
Article

Transformative technologies may start by making us more efficient, but it’s when they are embedded in new business models that they fundamentally change the way that we live and work. For instance, trains began as “faster horses” aiming to displace wagons, and ended up enabling modern industry.

Meet the Winners of the Digital Energy Solutions Award

15/09/2024
Startup|Energy
Article

Access to clean energy remains a considerable challenge and a top govement priority in Kenya. Digital innovations become essential for optimization, monitoring, regulation and financing. Startup|Energy has called on innovators and spin-offs from Kenyan universities to take part in the Award for Digital Innovations in Clean Energy .

Business Model and Environment Outlook for the Mini-Grid Market

08/09/2024
Sustainable Energy for All / UK Aid
Article

Over the past decade there has been a consistent and notable upward trend in mini-grid installations globally. Installations are over six times higher compared with 2018. This growth, particularly notable in sub-Saharan Africa, underscores the increasing recognition of mini-grids as a feasible solution for electrification in remote areas.

Prepaid into poverty? Challenges of Prepaid Metering in Ghana

06/09/2024
CoE-EDP, VisionRI
Article

The study examines how prepaid metering systems in Ghana’s urban poor communities exacerbate energy poverty due to affordability and reliability issues, suggesting the need for a redefined energy access approach and increased investment in renewable energy.