Africa’s abundance of sunshine makes it a potentially major player in the production of solar energy. The clean technology can help curb climate change as well as offer the continent a chance to fight poverty. Africa is often associated with scarcity, whether it’s of food, education or wealth. But there’s one thing that...
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Energy
Africa taps solar energy for a brighter future
China, Kenya jointly develop solar products for Africa
A joint research project between China and Kenya will help utilize solar energy in Africa, scientists said. An Xingcai, deputy head of the Natural Energy Resource Research Institute based in Gansu Province, northwest China, said researchers would study how to adapt Chinese solar panels and heaters to the Kenyan climate.
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Solar Energy in Africa
Africa, a continent characterized by strong solar radiation, is an ideal candidate for solar energy. Yet the high costs of traditional, silicon-based solar energy technology have prevented countries inAfrica and other developing regions of the world from adopting it widely.
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Sasol boost for solar energy research
South African petrochemicals group Sasol has announced a R3-million, five-year sponsorship of solar thermal energy research at Stellenbosch University’s Department of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering. The money will be used to appoint a senior researcher to lead the research effort, and to purchase new equipment for the University’s Solar Roof Laboratory.
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Solar power for the poor: facts and figures
Solar power could help alleviate rural poverty.David J. Grimshaw and Sian Lewis shine a light on its progress, potential and pitfalls. Increasing access to energy is critical to ensuring socioeconomic development in the world’s poorest countries. An estimated 1.5 billion people in developing countries have no access to electricity, with more than 80 per...
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Africa: Time to go solar
Africa should follow China’s lead, and foster solar innovation, production and demand, says UN-Habitat’s Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka. There are many reasons why Africa should turn to solar power to meet its energy needs. The continent receives an average of 6kWh of solar energy per square metre every day. In the face of climate change,...
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From the publisher
Africa offers tremendous opportunities for the development of solar energy. Most of the continent has 325 days of sunlight. Yet the pace of research and innovation has been slow. There are almost no private money in innovation and research. Compared to the US, China, India and Brazil, we at the risk of loosing out on what should be...
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Low-cost solar solution could empower off-grid poor
A low-cost, plastic solar lamp could provide affordable lighting for millions living in rural off-grid areas across Africa. The lamp is made from polymer solar cells and although it is not as efficient as similar technologies, it could prove more affordable, according to its developers. “There are many technologies out there already that...
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Solar-powered irrigation significantly improves diet and income in rural sub-Saharan Africa
Solar-powered drip irrigation systems significantly enhance household incomes and nutritional intake of villagers in arid sub-Saharan Africa, according to a new Stanford University study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The two-year study found that solar-powered pumps installed in remote villages in the West African nation of Benin...
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Electrical circuit runs entirely off power in trees
You’ve heard about flower power. What about tree power? It turns out that it’s there, in small but measurable quantities. There’s enough power in trees for University of Washington researchers to run an electronic circuit, according to results to be published in an upcoming issue of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’...
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