Africa’s Solar Energy Potential “Enormous” : IRENA Chief

Solar energy in Africa

Up to 60 million Africans may already be benefiting from off-grid renewable electricity – and the continent’s solar revolution is just getting started.

In an interview with the Thomson Reuters Foundation, International Renewable Energy Agency head Adnan Amin said uptake of solar will be comparable to the uptake of mobile phones in Africa twenty years ago – and will be just as important.

“Africa’s solar potential is enormous,” he said. “It has never been more possible and less expensive for Africa to realise this potential.”

The rise of pay-as-you solar power and expectations that the cost of solar mini-grids is expected to fall by at least 60 percent over the next two decades will help transform the entire continent, pulling hundreds of millions out of energy poverty and helping to address poverty generally.

According to a report from last year, the solar sector was already becoming a significant employer in Africa, with up to 15,000 new jobs created in sub-Saharan Africa just through the distribution of off-grid lighting.

“Africa’s vast solar potential presents a huge opportunity for people to engage in a range of economic activities such as irrigation and agro-processing, and it is already beginning to happen,” said Mr. Amin.

Nearly 50% of the people in the world without access to electricity live in Africa. Many of these people spend a significant percentage of their income on dangerous and polluting fossil fuels for lighting such as kerosene.

Families with a single solar light can save more than $60 a year; spending just 2% of their household income on lighting compared to 10% using fossil fuels – and solar lighting removes the risk of fires and respiratory disease.

According to a 2015 report from IRENA, Africa could generate 22% of all its energy requirements through home-grown renewables by 2030. Africa has some of the best biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar and wind resources in the world. With regard to solar resources, the continent receives 117 percent more sunshine than Germany.

For Africa to realise its full solar potential,  Mr. Amin says countries will require solid regulatory frameworks, entrepreneurs to chase the dream and government support to reduce risks to investors.

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