Solar power mini grids have presented rural Africa with an incredible opportunity to benefit from cheap and clean renewable energy.
Sabon Gida, a rural Nigerian village, once relied on diesel generators and lamps to power and light their community. Within a year, a solar powered mini grid has been linked to the north central Nasarawa State supplying clean energy constantly to half of the community and most businesses in the area.
Villages like Sabon Gida, at times, now have more light than Lagos because of the economic capital’s unstable grid connections.
Mini grids are not a new technology but the drop in the price of Solar has propelled a growth in clean energy in Africa. The region is poised to benefit the most from cheap Solar and mini-grid development.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) have found that Africa has the most potential when it comes to Solar generation but where the continent lacks is installed capacity.
Here is where the opportunity lays.
With increased deployment of mini grids, like in Sabon Gida, Africa as a nation could unlock fossil free electricity generation. Both the World Bank and the IEA identify mini grids as the most viable solution to cheap, fossil free and accessible electricity across Africa.
To meet current sustainable development objectives, and bring power to 300million people in Africa by 2030, 160,000 mini grids must be installed.
According to the World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance programme, only 12,000 are set to be installed.
Africa’s current growth in micro-grid deployment is still an achievement.
In a report by the World Bank, mini grid deployment has increased from 500 installations in 2010 to 3000 in 2023 with an additional 9000 coming next year.
Across Africa, deployment of renewable projects have begun to take priority.
Nigeria’s ‘market driven’ approach have brought 100 mini grid projects online. Ethopia and Zambia have passed new regulations to attract private investment of Solar. Kenya have done the same for both public and private investment for 150 mini grids.
Solar power remains the cheapest source of utility scale power but it can come with its challenges when being deployed in Africa. These include:
- Securing appropriate investment.
- Solving equipment issues.
- Securing state financing.
- Clear policies that promote the use of mini grids.
Outside of those challenges, increased deployment of Solar mini grids remain a top priority in securing cheap, clean and accessible electricity across Africa.
“Solar mini grids are integral to Nigeria’s energy transition plan. The government views this model as the most effective means to rapidly increase electricity access. If you remove mini grids from the equation, you remain with the problem of extension of national grids not being available to so many communities. So mini grids are essential.” – Abba Aliya, Representative of Nigeria’s Rural Electrification Agency
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