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| Fig. 1: Solar panel use in Uganda. (Source: Wikimedia Commons) |
Around the globe as many as two billion people don't have electricity. The African continent is huge part of this statistic. [1] The African continent is in dire need of energy - and fast. There is an ongoing energy crisis that is felt by a large part of sub-saharan Africa. This problem can be tackled with the development of new and improved renewable energies and sources. Most African countries lack viable electric power grid infrastructures. National incomes of these countries are also major constraints. [1] In Africa's current state the best option is investment and use of renewable energy. This may provide only small-to-modest capacity systems for the continent, but it is one of the better options.
Renewable presents a new opportunity for the continent. Africa presently experiences recurring power crises. An example would be the year 2000, when Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria and Tanzania all faced unprecedented power rationing, which adversely affected their economies. [2] In contrast to the industrialized world, which is concerned about the long-term global environmental impact of current patterns of energy production and use, many African countries are preoccupied with reversing the continuous decline of their centralized power systems - plus meeting the long-standing and pressing demands for a minimum level of modern energy services for the majority of their poor. Many of these have no electricity and continue to rely on inefficient and environmentally hazardous unprocessed biomass fuels. The long-term nature of renewables would allow a more gradual and less disruptive transition away from dependency on fossil fuels. This would benefit the African continent in the long run. [2]
Energy analysts believe that renewables constitute a reliable and long-term alternative to fossil fuels for virtually all African countries - including current oil-exporting nations, many of which have abundant and unexploited biomass, hydro, solar and wind resources. What is not yet clear is the extent to which renewables can meet the energy needs of Africa's people. [2]
Currently South Africa accounts for about 45% of the total electricity usage of Africa, while North Africa accounts for about 30%. This leaves about 24% of the electricity being used by Central Sub-Saharan Africa, where about 80% of the African population lives. Solar can help shift this distribution problem.
Solar energy can be divided into solar photovoltaic and Solar thermal. Solar photovoltaic converts the sun's energy into electrical energy. Solar thermal uses the sun's energy as a heat source for things such as cooking and drying. Solar energy is used on different levels. On a personal level, it is used for household needs such as lightning, cooking, and water heaters. On a larger level, it is used for water pumping and purification. On the industrial level, it is used for water heating and telecommunication. However, there is evidence that solar energy aids high-income areas more than lower income areas, as it is an expensive commodity.
Solar Energy has not been adequately exploited, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. The solar energy potential is unevenly distributed across the region. However, Sub-Saharan Africa's solar irradiation has potential of sustaining needed domestic electricity.
In addition, in a number of Sub-Saharan African communities, the application of solar power is used in solar-roof PV collectors for water pumping, domestic lighting, public closed circuit television (CCTV) systems, road junction automatic traffic light control systems, solar power community lighting and water heaters in a few places. It is also used in a limited number of urban street lights. These current applications are still at at a small-scale (see Fig. 1) compared to the large desert areas of the region, which have immense potential for beneficial development. [3]
The African region is naturally blessed with renewable resources. However, the means of using these resources effectively is lacking. The poor state of renewable energy applications rests on the poor level of technology of the region. The use of solar energy can effectively counter the uneconomical circumstances of connecting small and large areas of the African continent to fossil-based conversional grid-powered electricity, and potentially give the African continent another means of progressing.
© McDavis Ansere. The author warrants that the work is the author's own and that Stanford University provided no input other than typesetting and referencing guidelines. The author grants permission to copy, distribute and display this work in unaltered form, with attribution to the author, for noncommercial purposes only. All other rights, including commercial rights, are reserved to the author.
[1] I. M. Bugaje, "Renewable Energy for Sustainable Development in Africa: A Review," Renew. Sust. Energy Rev. 10, 603 (2006).
[2] S. Karekezi, "Renewables in Africa - Meeting the Energy Needs of the Poor," Energy Policy 30, 1059 (2002).
[3] Y. S. Mohammed, M. W. Mustafa, and N. Bashir, "Status of Renewable Energy Consumption and Developmental Challenges in Sub-Sahara Africa," Renew. Sust. Energy Rev. 27, 453 (2013).
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