Tiaan Botha’s Post

Private firms like 12k Energy Business and 12k Energy Group - are driving a revolution in solar power in Africa. Unreliable grids and falling costs are persuading companies to go #offgrid. African #poverty is partly a consequence of #energypoverty. In every other continent the vast majority of people have access to electricity. In Africa 600m people, 43% of the total, cannot readily light their homes or charge their phones. And those who nominally have grid electricity find it as reliable as a Scottish summer. More than three-quarters of African firms experience outages; two-fifths say electricity is the main constraint on their business. If other sub-Saharan African countries had enjoyed power as reliable as South Africa’s from 1995 to 2007, then the continent’s rate of real #GDP growth per person would have been two percentage points higher, more than doubling the actual rate, according to one academic paper. Since then South Africa has also had erratic electricity. So-called “load-shedding” is probably the main reason why the economy has shrunk in four of the past eight quarters. #Solar power is increasingly seen as the solution. Last year #Africa installed a record amount of photovoltaic (pv) capacity (though this still made up just 1% of the total added worldwide), notes the African Solar Industry Association (afsia), a trade group. #Solar #Energy #PV #Renewables #Grid #Offgrid #EnergyBusiness 12k Direct Electric | Zuvar Solartech | 12k Energy Southern Africa | Woodpecker Solar | The Economist | AFSIA (Africa Solar Industry Association) https://lnkd.in/gtcuJByp

Solar Is South Africa’s Silent Revolution The reality is that South Africa is dealing with a worsening power crisis, and even though President Cyril Ramaphosa has promised to cut through the red tape and boost the country’s use of renewable energy, not many South Africans are willing to wait for government action.  In fact, their impatience has driven a boom in small-scale solar installations.  Increasingly more South Africans are willing to be without power. Especially those who work from home, where every minute without power costs their business money. https://lnkd.in/d6vs3NQB

The heavy dependence on hydroelectric power is a shared vulnerability for Zimbabwe and Zambia, especially in the face of erratic rainfall and climate change. This over-reliance has led to frequent power shortages, undermining industrial productivity and household access to energy. Transitioning to solar energy presents a transformative opportunity for both nations. With abundant sunlight year-round, we have the chance to diversify energy sources, enhance grid stability, and reduce climate-related risks. To make this a reality, we must invest in scalable solar solutions, incentivize private sector participation, and adopt innovative financing models. By prioritizing solar energy, Zimbabwe and Zambia can secure their energy futures while advancing economic development. The time to act is now. https://lnkd.in/dtF966Dv

Inaccessibility nurturing clean #energy is a ripple effect not many could predict more so in relation to some of the world’s most destitute areas such as the eastern Democratic Republic of #Congo. The Kasongo’s are a family found in the Balendelende / Kamikaze villages of the DRC in the Maniema province and what does their purchase of #solar panels mean for clean energy on the African continent. #Africa has substantial new and #renewable energy resources, most of which are under-exploited. Only about 7% of Africa’s enormous hydro potential has been harnessed. Existing estimates of hydro potential do not include small, mini and micro hydro opportunities, which are also significant. Geothermal energy potential stands at 9000MW, but only about 60MW has been exploited in #Kenya with estimations indicating that a significant proportion of current electricity generation in 16 Eastern and Southern African countries could be met by bagasse-based cogeneration in the sugar industry. Being part of a savings group, the Kasongo’s have been able to purchase over 50 iron sheets, driers and rafters in preparation for the construction of better #housing, additionally a purchase of a mill and a battery to power the current and forthcoming house. The Kasongo’s like many other families in the #unconditional cash transfer project seek to always include solar panels as a means of #electricity / energy due to the inaccessible and unreliable nature of the #national grid and is the case often, the inability to afford it. Additionally the one-time payment when it comes to solar is more attractive than the continued payments if they were to use #fuel based (generators) sources of energy or the monthly payments on the national grid. Considering the already minor carbon footprint of the Balendelende / Kamikaze villages, the continued trend in the purchase of solar energy not only helps sustain them but in their own special way, combat #climatechange

The Cure to South Africa’s Energy Woes Is Staring Us in the Face ☀️ #southafrica has an ongoing energy crisis - crumbling national energy infrastructure is causing rolling blackouts called “loadshedding” “Arming the rebels” through solar energy could be the solution for South Africans. Advantages: • Cost savings: the market for #solar energy providers is heavily saturated = affordability • Energy Independence: Predictable energy • Environmental benefits: Clean energy • Increased property value • Reliability: Solar power systems are highly dependable and require little maintenance • Tax benefits We’d like to see SA get to a peer-to-peer energy sharing environment, inspired by the likes of Powerledger. Fortunately this ground work is being laid by a great startup called Momint 💫 There’s a lot of promise yet for South Africa 📩 Check out our letter on this topic Let us know what you think 👇🏾 #alternativeenergy #economy #selftaughtmba https://lnkd.in/dzmjHrKY

Power generation in Zambia and much of Sub-Saharan Africa remains a significant hindrance to nation-building and industrialization. ZESCO, Zambia's main electricity provider, heavily relies on hydropower generation, which faces persistent challenges in delivering consistent power. The issue lies in the lack of capacity to meet national demand and the absence of a new strategy to address this shortfall. Persistent low rainfall, essential for the Kariba Dam and Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River, exacerbates the problem. Pronouncements of load shedding due to drought are not uncommon in Zambia. President Hakainde Hichilema has labeled the drought a national emergency, urging both local and international partners to lend assistance. Addressing this ongoing challenge requires a strategic study to assess the nation's power needs. Diversifying power generation is crucial to enhancing ZESCO's capacity to meet customer demands. Innovations in solar power, wind energy, and the utilization of natural gas for turbine power are proving beneficial. For instance, the Noor Ouarzazate Solar Complex in Morocco, with a capacity of 580 MW, has significantly altered the power generation landscape, providing energy for over a million Moroccans while reducing fossil fuel dependence by millions of tons. Similarly, in Nigeria, the completion of a natural gas power plant by the new governor of Abia State demonstrates a commitment to reducing dependency on the national power grid. Zambia could follow suit by diversifying its energy sources.

In #Bangladesh, where getting land is a challenge, rooftop solar is an excellent choice to expedite renewable energy. It can reduce the electricity cost of industries and commercial buildings.  A study of Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) released in 2023 concluded that the addition of rooftop solar capacity of 2,000MW could help Bangladesh avoid between US$476 million and US$1 billion) a year by reducing expensive fossil fuel imports. For details, please click the link in the first comment 👇

Solar is one of the renewable energy sources available at large scale for free in Africa, 11 terawatts solar power potential, 350 million megawatts of a combined #wind and #solar. Africa clean energy can satisfy local demand and export the surplus abroad. The World Bank Group and the African Development Bank Group are partnering to provide at least 300 million people in Africa with electricity access by 2030. At the spring meetings of the World Bank and the IMF, which took place in Washington, a partnership was launched to electrify 300 million Africans over the next six years. President of the World Bank Group, Ajay Banja, told VOA Wednesday 17 April 2024 that the Bretton Woods institution is committing more than 30 billion dollars alongside the International Development Bank, IDA, to help boost electricity generation in #Africa. Meanwhile #India became one of the world's fastest-growing solar #markets. The South Asian nation enabled solar☀ energy to become cost competitive so that today, 90% of new #electricity in the country is based on #solar energy. India's Bhadla Solar Park is the world's largest solar park as of the time of the dataset. It has the capacity to generate 2,245 megawatts of electricity alone, enough to power 1.3 million homes. The country also has the third-largest solar power plant, Pavagada Solar Park, and five of the top 15. #EnergySecurity #Energy #Renewables #Economy #SolarPower #NetZero #CleanEnergy #EnergyTransition #GreenEnergy #Fin4Dev #AfDB

https://lnkd.in/evrwEtTv Power Reports East Africa Strengthening the Off-Grid Solar Electrification Market through Improved Policy and Advocacy in East Africa The East African region has been recognised as a prime location for solar energy growth as it experiences very high levels of solar irradiation (1500 - 3000 kWh/m2/year) throughout the whole year. However, in terms of energy access, the region has the highest share of un-electrified populations in the continent. With the population of East Africa standing at 177 million people, it is estimated that about 82 million people living in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania do not have electricity access. #africanpowerplatform #africapowerplatform #energyaccess #PowerAfrica #PAYG #energy #cleanenergy #Africa #renewables #renewable #renewableenergy #electricity #electrification #minigrids #microgrids #offgrid #solar #wind #biomass #solarpower #solarenergy #windpower #windenergy #hydropower #hydroenergy #SE4ALL #SDG7 https://lnkd.in/evrwEtTv

https://lnkd.in/evrwEtTv Power Reports East Africa Strengthening the Off-Grid Solar Electrification Market through Improved Policy and Advocacy in East Africa The East African region has been recognised as a prime location for solar energy growth as it experiences very high levels of solar irradiation (1500 - 3000 kWh/m2/year) throughout the whole year. However, in terms of energy access, the region has the highest share of un-electrified populations in the continent. With the population of East Africa standing at 177 million people, it is estimated that about 82 million people living in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania do not have electricity access. #africanpowerplatform #africapowerplatform #energyaccess #PowerAfrica #PAYG #energy #cleanenergy #Africa #renewables #renewable #renewableenergy #electricity #electrification #minigrids #microgrids #offgrid #solar #wind #biomass #solarpower #solarenergy #windpower #windenergy #hydropower #hydroenergy #SE4ALL #SDG7 https://lnkd.in/evrwEtTv