All Africa
Empowering Communities: The Dual Rewards of Renewable Energy
This article explores the critical roles of feasibility studies and community engagement in successful mini-grid projects, using case studies from EM-ONE in Nigeria and the Utilities 2.0 Pilot Project in Uganda.
https://www.powerforall.org/news-media/articles/empowering-communities-dual-rewards-of-renewable-energy
Power for All Clinches Prestigious Ashden Award for Integrated Energy in Africa
LONDON November 14, 2023 - In a significant recognition of its innovative efforts in renewable energy, Power for All’s Utilities 2.0 Project has been announced as the winner of the 2023 Ashden Award for Integrated Energy Africa. This accolade is a part of the globally acclaimed Ashden Awards, which acknowledge organizations at the forefront of tackling the world’s most pressing climate challenges.
https://www.powerforall.org/news-media/press-releases/power-all-clinches-prestigious-ashden-award-integrated-energy-africa
Powering Jobs Census 2022: Focus on Ethiopia
You can download the Energy Access Workforce Ethiopia report to learn about the victories, challenges, and possibilities the decentralized renewable energy (DRE) sector brings.
https://www.powerforall.org/resources/reports/powering-jobs-census-2022-focus-ethiopia
Youth Leaders in SDG7: Dr. Mohamed Alhaj, Founder and Director, Clean Energy 4 Africa and his youthful team
As part of International Youth Day, we reached out to Dr. Mohamed Alhaj, the founder and director of Clean Energy 4 Africa (CE4A), and some of his youthful team members for their insights on the role of Africa’s youth in energy access and transition. CE4A is a youth-led think-tank that promotes renewable energy in Africa. It is considered one of the top 100 youth initiatives globally that support SDG7.
https://www.powerforall.org/news-media/articles/youth-leaders-sdg7-dr-mohamed-alhaj-founder-and-director-clean-energy-4-africa
Zambia Launches Bold Plan to Power Health Clinics with Solar
Over 50 years ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that access to quality health services is a fundamental human right. This declaration is echoed by SDG 3 (“Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”). However, today only half of the global population has access to health care.
https://www.powerforall.org/insights/africa/zambia-launches-bold-plan-power-health-clinics-solar
Tech Spotlight: Application of Solar Powered Sprayers in Uganda
The Global Agricultural Sprayers Market industry valued approximately USD 1.82 billion in 2016 is anticipated to grow with a healthy growth rate of more than 8.13% over the forecast period 2017-2025. Power for All’s technical spotlight draws our attention to how solar powered sprayers are transforming the agriculture sector in Uganda.
https://www.powerforall.org/resources/infographics/tech-spotlight-application-of-solar-powered-sprayers-uganda
Electrification of Health Facilities in Zambia: Action Plan
Only a third of the main health facilities in rural areas in Zambia have a functional connection to the grid. Therefore, the health care of more than 60% of the rural population is adversely affected. In this Action Plan, the Government of Zambia calls upon all stakeholders, including development partners and the private sector, to join its efforts to electrify country's health facilities.
https://www.powerforall.org/resources/action-plans/electrification-of-health-facilities-zambia-action-plan
Open Letter to Funders and Implementing Agencies to Support the Solarization of Un-Electrified Health Facilities in Zambia
In this open letter, The Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Ministry of Energy (MoE) call on funders and implementing agencies to coordinate efforts and pool resources to support government initiative to scale up the electrification of health facilities effectively and efficiently.
https://www.powerforall.org/resources/action-plans/open-letter-funders-and-implementing-agencies-support-solarization-of-un-electrified-health-facilities-zambia
Interview with Jessica Stephens: AMDA Benchmarking Report
In this Power for All podcast, Jessica Stephens, the CEO of Africa Minigrid Developers Association (AMDA), in conversation with Power for All CEO Kristina Skierka, reflects on the recently released ‘Benchmarking Africa’s Minigrids report.’
https://www.powerforall.org/news-media/interviews/interview-jessica-stephens-amda-benchmarking-report
Factsheet: Decentralized Renewables Can Enhance Agro-Productivity In Tanzania
Decentralized Renewable Energy (DRE) sources can enhance agro-productivity and food security. This Fact Sheet highlights the current state of DRE powered agro-processing activities in Tanzania, drawing on analysis by: Access to Energy Institute (A2EI), The National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Energy for Impact (NREL&E4I), the Energy Change Lab (the Lab), and African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
https://www.powerforall.org/resources/fact-sheets-research-summaries/factsheet-decentralized-renewables-can-enhance-agro-productivity-tanzania
Backgrounder: Twaake, More Than Just Light
The Utilities 2.0 Twaake project in Uganda is a collaboration between centralized and decentralized energy companies including East Africa Power, EnerGrow, Equatorial Power, Power for All, Umeme, The Rockefeller Foundation among other partners with a goal to bring faster connections, increase productive use of electricity, improve grid reliability and stability, reduce grid losses, promote economic growth in rural communities, and improve business profitability.
https://www.powerforall.org/resources/action-plans/backgrounder-twaake-more-just-light
The Utilities 2.0 Twaake project
The Utilities 2.0 Twaake project is an integrated energy pilot that unites Umeme Ltd, Uganda’s centralized power utility company and several leading Uganda-based distributed renewable energy companies (DREs) including Equatorial Power, EnerGrow and East African Power, to provide affordable, reliable, and clean power for all in what has been envisioned as the utilities of the future. The project is funded by The Rockefeller Foundation and coordinated by Power for All.
https://www.powerforall.org/news-media/videos/utilities-20-twaake-project
Investing in clean energy an opportunity for African middle class
By 2021, the green-energy investing will account for 25% of all energy spending, for the first time ever, surpassing spending on fossil fuels, according to Goldman Sachs. Africa's growing middle class could be pivotal to the continent's transition to a sustainable energy future.
https://www.powerforall.org/insights/finance/renewable-energy-investement-africa
COVID-19: African health officials issue “SOS” for solar power
African healthcare officials describe the urgent need for much greater support for electrifying rural healthcare facilities, calling the situation an emergency because of COVID-19.
https://www.powerforall.org/insights/africa/covid-19-solar-energy-africa-healthcare
Commercial and industrial customers to accelerate the energy transition in Africa
Commercial and industrial (C&I) off-takers can become the main driver for the energy transition in Africa and elsewhere. This is in-line with a global trend that is seeing C&I businesses integrating renewable energy solutions to power on-site operations. Renewables address three issues: greening energy supply, reducing cost and making power more reliable.
https://www.powerforall.org/insights/africa/commercial-and-industrial-customers-accelerate-energy-transition-africa
OPINION: Franchising the new paradigm for PAYG solar
The pay-as-you-go (PAYG) market for scaling access to solar energy is maturing quickly. Building market share through customer acquisition is no longer the top priority, being replaced by cost efficiency and portfolio management. More savvy funders are now embracing consolidation, thoughtful expansion or franchising. The era of the PAYG start-up is dead.
https://www.powerforall.org/insights/africa/opinion-franchising-new-paradigm-payg-solar
Six Nuclear Reactors Worth of Off-Grid Renewable Energy Deployed in Last 10 Years—But Sub-Saharan Africa Lagging
The deployment of off-grid electricity is one important pathway toward reducing energy poverty. Off-grid technology can meet basic needs at an increasingly affordable cost and, when powered by renewable sources, in a clean manner. Yet until recently, we knew little about the current state of affairs: how much capacity do off-grid systems currently provide? And where?
https://www.powerforall.org/insights/africa/six-nuclear-reactors-worth-of-grid-renewable-energy-deployed-last-10-years-sub-saharan-africa-lagging
Electrifying Africa’s Labor Market
With more than 600 million people lacking access to electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa, off-grid renewable energy has the potential to transform economies and lift millions out of poverty. But green power can do something else, too: it can help solve the continent’s mounting unemployment crisis. A perspective by Mugo Kibati of M-KOPA and Gilles Vermot Desroches of Schneider Electric.
https://www.powerforall.org/insights/africa/electrifying-africas-labor-market
A mini-grid market opportunity assessment of Cameroon
SEforAll Africa hub in conjunction with the African Development Bank recently published a Mini-Grid Market Opportunity Assessment of Cameroon as part of the Green Mini-Grid Market Development Programme (GMG MDP) document series.
https://www.powerforall.org/insights/africa/mini-grid-market-opportunity-assessment-of-cameroon
New Energy Access Frontiers Emerging in Oft-Ignored Countries
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is ranked 184 out of 190 on the World Bank’s ease of doing business index and 175 on ease of getting electricity. By comparison, Kenya, a favorite of the donor community when it comes to energy access, ranks 92 and 106 respectively. The World Bank recently credited Kenya $150 million to provide solar to under-served communities.
https://www.powerforall.org/insights/africa/new-energy-access-frontiers-emerging-oft-ignored-countries
New energy boss targets access, Africa as World Bank priorities
Riccardo Puliti, the newly appointed head of energy and extractives at the World Bank in charge of investing $8 billion a year, says that Africa and India will be the bank’s main focus, and he will pursue an all-of-the-above approach, with a major focus on natural gas and renewables, while coal will remain off limits.
https://www.powerforall.org/insights/policy/new-energy-boss-targets-access-africa-world-bank-priorities
Notes from the Frontline: Devergy
This week, Power for All partner Devergy shared an honest, tell-all look at the difficulties they faced when raising awareness of their solar micro-grid technology in rural communities, and the hard work they put in to creating solutions. Read their first-hand account of the challenges they countered attracting new customers, and how they have turned challenges into opportunity.
https://www.powerforall.org/insights/africa/notes-frontline-devergy
X Learning: A 2017 Game Changer
In 2017, the African Development Bank (AfDB) will hold its annual meeting in India for the first time. The AfDB has targeted 75 million decentralized renewable connections in its plan to achieve universal energy access by 2025, while India has its sights on 40 GW of rooftop solar and 10,000 mini-grids in its bid to achieve “24/7 Power for All” by 2019. Imagine the learnings that the two have to share. Next year, also sees the International Solar Alliance (ISA) hit its stride, bringing together 20+ countries with a major focus on energy access through decentralized solutions, and opportunities for cross-learning are bolstered further under the Paris climate agreement plans for regional partnerships and technology transfer—a key to the low carbon transition.
https://www.powerforall.org/insights/africa/x-learning-2017-game-changer
Why the World Needs Decentralized Renewable Energy
Over 1 billion people do not have access to reliable, affordable electricity; they are often forced to turn to polluting, hazardous, and expensive solutions like kerosene, charcoal and diesel in order to fuel their lives.
https://www.powerforall.org/insights/technologies/why-world-needs-decentralized-renewable-energy
New fund to propel decentralized renewables into mainstream
An industry knows it has gone mainstream when the most risk-averse money—institutional investors such as pension funds, insurance companies, banks, hedge funds, endowments—starts to move in. It looks like that's about to happen for decentralized renewable energy—home and business rooftop solar, mini-grids—in emerging economies like Africa.
https://www.powerforall.org/insights/policy/new-fund-propel-decentralized-renewables-mainstream
Building a global green economy requires Zambia x100
The latest Global Green Economy Index (GGEI) showed that Zambia is crushing it. The country moved up 16 places in the performance rankings between 2014 and 2016, making it the only emerging economy to be in the top 10 besides Brazil.
https://www.powerforall.org/insights/africa/building-global-green-economy-requires-zambia-x100
Off-Grid Fridge Contest Makes Energy Efficiency "Cool" Again
The 1.4 billion domestic refrigerators and freezers in use worldwide each consume an average annual 450 kWh of electricity, accounting for almost 14 percent of total household electricity consumption. As we work to end energy poverty for 1.1 billion people worldwide, those numbers are sure to rise.
https://www.powerforall.org/insights/technologies/grid-fridge-contest-makes-energy-efficiency-cool-again
Market Maturing for Tanzania Mini-Grids
East Africa is a leader in the decentralized renewable energy revolution, and along with India it is the most closely watched market as it relates to scaling mini-grids. This is especially true of Tanzania. What happens in Tanzania will have implications for the success of mini-grids elsewhere.
https://www.powerforall.org/insights/africa/market-maturing-tanzania-mini-grids
Is AfDB’s new deal on energy forgetting decentralized?
In an advert this week in The Economist, the African Development Bank posted an opening for a Vice President of Power, Energy and Green Growth (VP of PEGG), who it said “will champion the New Deal on Energy for Africa and will lead the Transformative Partnership on Energy for Africa to achieve universal energy access in Africa.” Great news, right?
https://www.powerforall.org/insights/africa/afdbs-new-deal-energy-forgetting-decentralized
"New Deal" for Energy in Africa a Big Deal for Off-Grid
During the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, unveiled details of a hugely ambitious “New Deal for Energy in Africa”, which, if fully implemented, has the potential to fundamentally reshape the continent. The New Deal brings together a “transformative partnership”, including the Africa Energy Leaders Group, the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa, SE4All, Power Africa and the U.K.’s Energy Africa Campaign. Between now and 2025 it aims to use public-private partnerships for innovative financing to add 205 million more connections to the electricity infrastructure. Of that number, 130 million will be on-grid connections, a 160% increase, while 75 million will be off-grid connections—a stunning 20 fold increase from today. It also envisions an increase in access to clean cooking for 130 million households.
https://www.powerforall.org/insights/policy/new-deal-energy-africa-big-deal-grid