The buzz around decentralized renewable energy has so far mostly been in East Africa and South Asia, i.e. high-flying Kenya and massive India and Bangladesh. 2017 will see growth of decentralized energy into new frontiers. And thanks to Sustainable Energy for All (SEforAll), we now have a clearer picture of where the biggest opportunities for renewable energy to close the access gap are. The SEforAll “Heat Maps” identify the countries where the electricity deficit is highest, as well as the countries of high-impact for renewables penetration. If you overlay those, factor in which national governments are embracing decentralized renewables, then account for countries where finance and businesses are ready to scale, we have a pretty solid idea of what’s coming in terms of potential “new wins” for the sector in 2017, including:high-flying Kenya and massive India and Bangladesh… https://www.powerforall.org/news-media/articles/frontier-markets-islands-eagles-states
Kenya’s market for decentralized renewables is the fastest moving in Africa. Already 15-20 percent of Kenyan households use solar lighting and the country is home to a pioneering green mini-grids program, thousands of biodigesters and 3,000MW of micro-hydro systems. I was recently invited to share Kenya’s experiences on this rapid expansion with policy-makers in Zimbabwe, as both our countries work to achieve universal energy access by 2030. …Kenyan Embassy in Harare Kenya’s market for decentralized renewables is the fastest moving in Africa… https://www.powerforall.org/countries/kenya/guest-post-5-lessons-kenyas-energy-access-boom
Kenya’s recently issued target of universal energy access by 2020 has galvanized the decentralized energy market, with companies looking to capitalize on Kenya’s rapid growth. The latest entrant is Berlin-based company Mobisol, who announced plans to open in the East African hub, along with an influx of new equity financing to fuel the expansion.Kenya’s recently issued target of universal energy access by 2020 has galvanized the decentralized energy market, with companies looking to capitalize on Kenya’s rapid growth… https://www.powerforall.org/countries/kenya/kenyas-2020-target-fires-market
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. …Kenya, a favorite of the donor community when it comes to energy access, ranks 92 and 106 respectively… https://www.powerforall.org/insights/africa/new-energy-access-frontiers-emerging-oft-ignored-countries
The Tour de France might still be one week away, but in Kenya young people are currently cycling across the country to connect with people who do not have access to energy. During the trip the cyclists are meeting with local communities and government officials to promote renewable energy as a clean solution to lack of energy access, ahead of the Kenyan elections that are taking place on the 8 August. This is part of the Big Shift campaign supported by the African Coalition for Sustainable Energy and Access (ACSEA), the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), Kenya Youth Climate Network and Christian Aid. …Kenya young people are currently cycling across the country to connect with people who do not have access to energy… https://www.powerforall.org/news-media/events/kenya-clean-energy-cycling-caravan
More than 800,000 Kenyan dairy farmers have no electricity to refrigerate their milk, which means that about 60% of milk in Kenya spoils. Farmers don’t have access to electricity, and they can’t afford diesel generators, which are expensive to operate. https://www.powerforall.org/insights/impact/harvesting-hope-how-distributed-renewable-energy-can-reshape-agriculture-communities-and-planet
Power for All and IRENA are partnering to explore gender dynamics in the DRE sector, a field ripe for increasing women's participation, as seen in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Nigeria. https://www.powerforall.org/news-media/articles/empowering-women-distributed-renewable-energy
EV adoption in sub-Saharan Africa is accelerating with localized solutions, policy support, and public-private partnerships, as seen in Senegal and Kenya. https://www.powerforall.org/news-media/articles/african-electric-vehicle-odyssey-promising-journey-toward-sustainable-mobility
Practical Action’s PPEO 2017 focuses on how to finance people-driven energy access solutions. Through case studies from Bangladesh, Kenya and Togo, Practical Action highlights that we already have most of the tools needed to finance a bottom-up renewable revolution. https://www.powerforall.org/resources/fact-sheets-research-summaries/research-summary-poor-peoples-energy-outlook
In late 2018, Power for All conducted the first comprehensive jobs census of the decentralized renewable energy (DRE) sector, covering pico-solar appliances, solar home systems, standalone and grid-tied commercial and industrial systems, mini-grids and productive use applications such as solar water pumps. This summary synthesizes key findings in the three countries surveyed -- India, Kenya and Nigeria. https://www.powerforall.org/resources/fact-sheets-research-summaries/research-summary-jobs-decentralized-renewables-and-energy-transition