It’s the globe’s second largest continent, home to the some of the world’s fastest growing economies, and it has supplied precious resources to nations for hundreds of years - so why do today’s solar PV businesses find it so difficult to succeed in Africa? PV Tech spoke with Jon Sarpong, president of PV developer and consultancy Avior Global, about the challenges and opportunities for PV companies eyeing up the African market.
Bill Gates once again shunned solar power from his vision for energy access in Africa in his talk at the University of Pretoria in South Africa on Sunday, where he argued that whilst “cheap, clean energy” is what Africa needs, solar does not fit the bill.
Brazilian minister of mines and energy Fernando Coelho Filho has touted the potential of Brazil to become one of the largest global solar markets through the distributed generation segment.
A guide to help US consumers make decisions on community solar has been released by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and the trade organisation Coalition for Community Solar Access (CCSA).
The latest report from the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI), an investor-focused non-profit organisation, found that of the US$694 billion of climate bonds outstanding in 2016, energy accounted for 19% at US$130 billion, exemplifying a push in investment for renewable energy projects.
The World Bank Group today signed an agreement with the International Solar Alliance (ISA), which was formed at the COP21 Paris summit last year, and is comprised of 121 countries led by India, to partner on scaling up solar energy use globally, with the goal of mobilising US$1 trillion in investments by 2030.
The second Solar and Off-Grid Renewables West Africa event in Ghana in April heard mixed views on the progress of solar in the region. But with the first projects reaching completion and others moving forward, brighter times seem to be around the corner. Tom Kenning reports
German PV company IBC Solar has partnered with DHYBRID Power Systems to capitalise on their respective competencies in order to emerge as a market-leading provider of diesel-PV hybrid systems.
The US is leading the charge for solar in North America, but its next-door neighbours, Canada and Mexico, are also pressing ahead with plans to boost deployment. Danielle Ola reports on the policy developments expected to underpin the growth of solar in the two countries.
