(Photo credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Africa has an incredible potential for solar generation. Mass infrastructure challenges leave many countries across the continent without regular energy supply because of frequent blackouts. It is not for the lack of resources either, the International Energy Agency explained that Africa has 60% of the world’s solar resources but only 1% of the world’s solar generation capacity. Irregular and expensive electricity has led to poorer members of the African population finding it difficult to access electricity. Start-ups across Africa have begun to capitalise of the potential of solar in the region, offering advanced energy solutions to those facing regular blackouts and poor electricity supply.
Start-ups leading the shift to solar energy across Africa include:
SunCulture
The Nairobi based company have currently raised over $40mn to provide farmers with irrigation systems to decrease their reliability on fossil fuel energy systems and the effect of intermittent weather has on their production. SunCulture’s technologies are cheaper, cleaner and require less maintenance. Subsequently, improving the day-to-day activity of their customers. According to research conducted by the company, 89% of farmers experience an increase in their quality of life, 90% increased their total production and 87% increased their earnings.
Mikayla Czajkowski, Chief of Staff at SunCulture told the United Nations:
“Solar is particularly attractive because of its positive environmental impact, job creation potential, and economic development potential… African nations have immense potential to benefit from utilizing solar energy – especially in remote and under-served regions where energy access is limited – and facilitates a reduction in the continent’s carbon footprint, making a valuable contribution to global efforts to combat climate change.”
GridXAfrica
GridXAfrica are another start-up that are assisting Africa’s shift to a more reliable and renewable energy generation. The company offer off-grid solar panels to farms and construction companies in Kenya, Mozambique, and Tanzania to the pay-as-you-go solar company Bboxx and the Egyptian solar developer and electricity distributor KarmSolar. Collaboration, across the board, is incredibly important to assist a reliable and more efficient electricity infrastructure.
Odyssey Energy Solutions Africa
Odyssey Energy Solutions Africa provide technology and finance solutions for distributed renewable energy, offering tools for solar developers to pitch potential projects to finance firms and secure funding.
Innovative companies like SunCulture, GridXAfrica, Odyssey Energy Solutions Africa all require significant to be successful. Only then will a more reliable and renewable energy grid will be developed. Government and non-government schemes have helped with this. The most significant being the US-Africa Clean Energy Finance initiative (US-AFCEF) that has already supported 32 projects in offsetting the cost of early stage development in the hope of increasing investment.
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