World Urban Forum

It is indeed an important question, why solar PV and solar warm water applications are not used more frequently in Africa. Our new office building here in Nairobi is rum 100% by solar PV. The system with 500kW (peak) is big enough to also provide power supply to other buildings on the UN campus. The company that did the installation is giving a warranty of 20 years (provided it does not close down in the mean time). Repayment of investments is said to take seven years, only (electricity is expensive in Kenya). And, as Achim Steiner, the Executive Director of our sister agency UNEP, has put it during the formal opening: “If you can’t run a solar system here in Africa, just under the equator, where on Earth can you?!”

Can you tell me, what are the barriers of a wider dissemination of solar energy in Africa?

most people they have not get well the concept of using it most of them thier think that is more important to only for those live in rural areas.

may be also the government should come out and mobilizing people on how solar system cos our people in rural ares their still lacking the knowledge about solar.

I think the problem lies in Afirque at the non-mastery of technology. Indeed, the photovoltaic system is more developed in the West than in sub-Saharan area, paradoxically, it is best suited for the tropics and more to rural areas which know the difficulties of access to common power grid in urban areas. moreover it reduces dependence on petroleum and biomass by limiting in the same direction the risk of fire, electrocution, délestqge when properly managed. It provides brief autonomy in management. it would be appropriate that the states combine the solutions for sustainable development in the sense of equipping the African continent of photovoltaic system. This is especially true that according to the association of solar energy research, Africa receives 5-7 kw / h per square meter. deal with that renewables technology transfer is an emergency for this purpose for the promotion of sustainable cities.

Dear Sébastian! in the era when the world is facing green economy, I think African countries will gain by making arguments for the transfer of renewable Tehnologies since nature has been very favorable for the development project with some of them like the solar, wind, otherwise very free, at the Rio summit 20 instead of atarder on convention that at times can not always realization, isn't it?

In most African countries electricity suppliers do not make provision for electricity generated by wind farms / solar installation to be contributed to the grid. The electricity must therefore be stored - and this is expensive. In many European countries, where individual households receive a credit on their electricity bill for the electricity generated by PV panels on their roofs or a wind turbine in their garden, PV has become affordable even for low income categories. Monopolistic energy supply in Africa and the reluctance of the suppliers to embrace greener technologies is the biggest issue. The likes of Eskom prefer to promote "reduced consumption" rather than alternative energy sources. Individuals are literally being kept in the dark.

hi David!
I think once again that if states are realizing the need to exploit a non-exhaustible source of energy, and their permanent worn, they will have less problem to try to sign contracts with companies that fail not even meet the demand yet very minimal. the cost in my opinion is a non necessary debate. to compare loan issues, just we realize that Hydroelectric energy requires a large water retention, and an abandonment to the detriment of the population of the region to build the dam. then it is only a moment we wondered whether the relationship that local people have with their environment? is it normal to leave the remains of ancestors in one location and leave, which will be deleted since we dig? then it is impoortant that African leaders will wake up. today at the Rio summit 20 we talk about green economy, is not there an opportunity for states to contact the companies that manufacture solar panel for technology transfer? I sincerely believe that this technology can be tropicalize to break the myth of the high cost. what do you think?

Restricting my comments on the Kenyan context, recently (from 2008-to present), the Ministry of Energy has been taking a lead role in ensuring that rural schools are powered through solar PV. Technicians were trained in installation and maintenance of the systems and this is a VERY big step compared to the case in early 1990s where there was widespread dissemination but once they broke down, there was no one locally available to repair them.

As incomes continue to rise in the rural areas, more households are also installing solar PVs (because of inadequacy of central grid supply) mostly for lighting purposes and to run light gadgets such as television sets, radios, charging phones etc.

To increase uptake and upscale of solar energy (and other renewables), the Kenya government formulated an attractive Feed-in Tariff which has got the private sector interested. I have attached the policy document for your reference. Further to this, institutions such as hotels, schools, hospitals are mandated to installed solar water heating (SWH) systems for their own use.

hello Kennedy!
thank you for exxplications, but I like to know if this investment relates exclusively or rural areas is that this initiative will be generalized throughout the country including urban areas. because it is true that there are hydroelectric dams for electricity distribution in urban areas, is what we thought the drying up of rivers? then solar energy should be spread everywhere, especially as the sun is inexhaustible.

Hi Diane,

The feed-in tariff covers electricity generated both in rural and urban areas. So long as you are generating enough electricity to sell to the electricity utility (Kenya Power Company); you are free to take advantage of this facility, irrespective of you location.

On matters hydro, it has proven more than once that it is very unreliable (climate change reasons) and therefore decentralised electricity generation which include solar energy is the the way to go. Large multi-national solar farms are the only ones who can benefit from this feed-in tariff as they have the resources required to invest in such systems. I hope I have tackled your query appropriately.

Some notable countries that are already maximising their solar energy potential include Morocco.

Hi Ken!
thank you for your complementary way, just why Africa does not change the terms of such partnerships with multinational corporations that most often occur in the service offer in terms of achievement without thinking about technology transfer? as for the case of renewable energies such as solar and wind, Africa should maximize in this direction, but unfortunately it is still in constant shortage yet it holds the resource at hand. I sincerely believe that the forum can solve this problem, especially since the Rio summit ended with promoting the green economy.

Hi Alemfack,

I see 3 major challenges that inhibit the development of renewable energy resources in Africa. The 1st challenge is simply the fact that most policy makers want BIG initiatives and more often than not, renewable energy is considered small stuff. Secondly, renewable energy is usually promoted from an environmental perspective, yet Africa's level of GHGs emissions is comparatively insignificant. Lastly, there simply isn't sufficient awareness creation on renewable energy. For most policy makers renewable energy=solar PV producing a few kilowatts at best, yet we can have geothermal, wind and biomass energy systems that can cost-competitively generate hundreds of megawatts. Overcoming the above challenges could contribute to rapid uptake of renewable energy in Africa.

if africa considers that it can not hurry on renewable energies because it has the lowest percentage of polluition High, this is serious because it increasingly making the continent more to the effects of climate change. this show is still sad when governments deploy again in the construction of hydroelectric dams that cost so dear to the ecosystems, local people and sometimes very high costs.
What country are you? the renewable energies which you refer are they already operational in the great mass of people? or this is what happens as in Cameroon where it is reserved to a group of eminent environmentalist or scientists?

There are three important points which are relevant to note for entire south.firstly, the monopolistic suplly inhibit the use of multiple sources(including solar energy)and secondly the high degree of rvenue and transmission losses caused by technical leakages and illegal use.. Thirdly, the city govts are by and large not involved in the management of supply.These points together need to be attended to invove private sector ,have better distribution and increasing use of nonconventional sources.

Solar energy is not only an opportunity for sub-Saharan cities, is a valuable opportunity for ALL cities, sterile roofs has no sense.
Occupied soil with perdurable buildings must be full used.
Sun is free, Crude oil not, why to import crude if we have sun over our heads?
Self produced food brings also a good opportunity to development, it reduce waste production (organics can be composted) energy consumption (food transportation is reduced), give a better roof isolation.
It seems that we are a "rural" specie force to live in agglomerations, then seems logical to "ruralize" the cities,

Good terminology.We should not overlook and forget our rural linkages and draw the best possible for sustainable urbanisation.