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SFCE OCt 27
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Solar Power Deals and Company News
Oct 26, 2015 | Recharge
Shunfeng International Clean Energy, owner of Suntech, has completed its first high-profile project under a new strategy that will see it offering a “medley of solutions” to building owners looking to lower their power bills and carbon emissions. -
Single Week Brings More Than $125 Million to Off-Grid Energy Sector
Oct 26, 2015 | The Huffington Post - Green Blog
By Vrinda Manglik
Last week was a huge week for private and public investment in the off-grid clean energy sector. The off-grid sector continues to grow, offering affordable, reliable energy services to unelectrified and under-electrified populations around the world. Access to off-grid lighting and appliances can have transformative life-changing impacts... -
Off-grid solar market worth $300 million annually
Oct 27, 2015 | PV Magazine
By Becky Beetz
The off-grid solar market now represents US$300 million annually, with more than 13 million products having been sold to date, according to a new report. The sub-Saharan market is said to be reporting the strongest growth, followed by South Asia. -
Is Renewable Energy Starting to Bend the Carbon Curve?
Oct 26, 2015 | Huffington Post
By Clayton B. Cornell
"This is what effective climate action looks like," tweeted Mary Nichols presenting this graph showing that California's drop in emissions is not due to a reduced economy. -
US Clean Power Plan opponents say it will make building fossil fuel plants ‘virtually impossible’
Oct 26, 2015 | PV Tech
By Andy Colthorpe
Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan is under fire from more than 20 US states, from pro-coal industry groups and from electric utilities, with the government facing legal action for the proposed action on carbon emissions and other pollution. -
Poland can boost renewable energy share to 25% by 2030 - IRENA
Oct 27, 2015 | SeeNews
By Ivan Shumkov
Poland can achieve a renewables share of nearly 38% in power generation and almost 25% in total final energy consumption by 2030 if it taps its vast wind resources, enhance power transmission and scale-up grid development. -
Morocco: Nearly 50% renewable electricity by 2020
Oct 27, 2015 | TreeHugger
By Sami Grover
Morocco has an awful lot of sun, an awful lot of desert and a high demand for imported fuel (94% of the country's energy needs are met by fossil fuel imports). And that's why, as reported over at The Guardian, the Moroccan government is moving ahead with a huge concentrated solar power plant near the desert city of Ouarzazate—one of four plants in total which, when complete, will have generating capacity of 580MW. -
Energy Africa Campaign To Boost Rural Solar Access
Oct 27, 2015 | CleanTechnica
By Joshua S Hill
The UK Government has launched its Energy Africa campaign, in an effort to accelerate the expansion of household solar throughout the continent.
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Solar Power Deals and Company News
Oct 26, 2015 | Recharge
Deals and company news from the global solar sector this weekA joint venture between Kyocera and property firm Century Tokyo Leasing has started building a 28MW solar array in northern Japan. Kyocera TCL Solar will install Kyocera’s 270W solar panels at a site in Kurokawa, Miyagi prefecture, according to an emailed statement. Upon completion in July 2018, the array will annually generate enough power to serve roughly 9,800 homes. The electricity will be sold to regional utility Tohoku Electric Power. Kyocera TCL Solar, which was set up in August 2012, currently has about 50.7MW of PV capacity in operation at 29 sites throughout Japan.
Marubeni has announced the completion of a 29.8MW solar array in northern Japan. The project — situated on a 48-hectare plot of land in Tomakomai, Hokkaido — went into commercial operation earlier this month. It will annually generate enough electricity to cater to the needs of 9,000 homes, according to an online statement. The Tokyo-based conglomerate did not reveal the PV module supplier.
Blue Earth will acquire the 13MW (dc) Moores Hallow Solar PV project in southeast Oregon from a subsidiary of Pacific Northwest Solar based in Portland. Construction is due to begin in early first quarter 2016 with commercial start in late third quarter. Idaho Power Company will purchase the power. Blue Earth, with headquarters in Nevada, is negotiating purchase of five other PV projects totaling 44MW (dc) from Pacific Northwest Solar.
Hive Energy, the UK-based solar developer, opened a new regional headquarters in Turkey and outlined plans to build 50MW of PV in the country. With 10-year PPAs at $0.133/kWh on offer in the country, the Turkish solar market is economically viable, the company says. The Turkish market will benefit from the country’s high level of insolation and growing demand for electricity, says Hive chief executive Giles Redpath. Hive’s new office in Ankara will be headed up by Tolga Metin, an experienced local player. The Turkish government, which wants 3GW of PV built by 2023, is highly supportive of renewables and eager to cut energy imports. “Turkey represents the next exciting opportunity for solar in Europe,” says Redpath.
Panasonic has announced plans to start selling its “eneloop" solar storage solution throughout Asia and Africa in November. The system pairs nickel-metal hydride batteries with 15W solar panels to provide nighttime LED lighting in areas with poor electricity access. The Osaka-based group plans to sell the units in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Myanmar, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines, according to an online statement.
SunPower, the second largest US-based PV manufacturer, launched its new “Helix” platform, which combines PV panels, mounting hardware, and monitoring software for customers in the commercial and industrial (C&I) market. The Helix package includes a “plug-and-play power station” and software that quantifies real-time demand charge savings, all aimed at making it quicker, cheaper and more beneficial for C&I customers to install SunPower kits on their rooftops. Bed Bath & Beyond – an existing SunPower customer, with 17.5MW of capacity already installed – will become the first major user of the Helix platform, with kits to be installed atop eight stores in early 2016. C&I clients like Bed Bath & Beyond represent the smallest of California-based SunPower’s three primary business segments, alongside utility-scale power plants and residential customers.
Japan’s Solar Frontier sold its under-construction 15MW Morelos del Sol PV project in southern California to Southern Power and Turner Renewable Energy, as it continues to make strides in the US market. The project, due for completion next month, is being built using Solar Frontier’s thin-film CIS modules on single-axis trackers. Solar Frontier claims to have nine projects under development in the US, having earlier this year acquired a pipeline from Spain’s Gestamp. But the company does not intend to become a major developer, an executive told Recharge recently. Instead, it will use its US projects to demonstrate the effectiveness of its unique modules and its growing base of balance-of-plant partners.
Shunfeng International Clean Energy, owner of Suntech, has completed its first high-profile project under a new strategy that will see it offering a “medley of solutions” to building owners looking to lower their power bills and carbon emissions. The Hong Qiao International School in Shanghai hired Shunfeng to install a variety of technologies offered by its stable of subsidiaries, from rooftop PV to ground-source heat pumps to LED lighting. As a result, the school’s energy costs will be halved and its carbon emissions shrunk by two-thirds. “The unveiling of the school truly marks the start of a new age for clean energy,” says Shunfeng chief executive Eric Luo. Shunfeng will profit through a 25-year “energy management contract” with the school. Such contracts will be one of the Hong Kong-listed company’s central pillars going forward, Luo told Recharge last month. Shunfeng has meanwhile reined in some of its ambitions for developing, building and owning large renewable-power plants across China.
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Single Week Brings More Than $125 Million to Off-Grid Energy Sector
Oct 26, 2015 | The Huffington Post - Green Blog
By Vrinda Manglik
Last week was a huge week for private and public investment in the off-grid clean energy sector. The off-grid sector continues to grow, offering affordable, reliable energy services to unelectrified and under-electrified populations around the world. Access to off-grid lighting and appliances can have transformative life-changing impacts, opening the door to numerous socioeconomic and health benefits.
Among the notable announcements from last week was the White House's announcement of U.S. Government support for off-grid clean energy, as well as independent commitments from 19 companies and organizations. Together, the commitments will "... provide access to off-grid clean energy products and services to more than 500 million people by 2020." To put that number in perspective, an estimated 1.3 billion people globally lack access to modern electricity, and many more have only limited or unreliable access. This commitment from the U.S. Government and companies and organizations could serve more than a third of the people lacking electricity access worldwide.
The package of announcements from the White House includes the following in terms of public financing:A75 million loan guarantee from USAID's Power Africa program to scale up off-grid renewable investments in sub-Saharan Africa;More than20 million in loans from the Overseas Private Investment Corporation for supporting residential solar in Kenya and Nigeria; and$46 million from the Millennium Challenge Corporation to off-grid electrification in Benin.
The Department of Energy will also be launching the next round of Global Lighting and Energy Access Partnership (Global LEAP) Awards. These awards recognize super-efficient off-grid appliances such as fans and televisions, which allow modest amounts of energy to provide a greater range of services than was previously possible. The Department of Energy is also making four additional announcements related to Global LEAP, including establishment of a mini-grids quality assurance framework and an interactive appliance data platform.
In addition to this public financing, the independent private commitments from 19 companies and organizations amount to $125 million in new financing for off-grid energy in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. These independent commitments included $15 million from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation to SunFunder, Simpa Networks, and Off-Grid Electric, and $25 million from DBL Partners and SolarCity into Off-Grid Electric in a Series C round.
On top of the White House announcements, Angaza closed out the week by announcing the closing of a $4 million round of Series A financing. That means the single week brought at least $129 million to the off-grid sector. And today, the UK Department for International Development announced its plans to fund Power for All, a campaign dedicated to delivering universal energy access by 2030.
This is exciting news ahead of the Global Off-Grid Lighting Association's 4th International Off-Grid Lighting and Exhibition in Dubai this week, October 26-29, where more than 600 participants and 100 exhibitors will showcase developments in the off-grid energy sector and discuss policy issues affecting the sector.
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Off-grid solar market worth $300 million annually
Oct 27, 2015 | PV Magazine
By Becky Beetz
The off-grid solar market now represents US$300 million annually, with more than 13 million products having been sold to date, according to a new report. The sub-Saharan market is said to be reporting the strongest growth, followed by South Asia.
A new report released by the World Bank Group and the Global Off-Grid Lighting Association (GOGLA), in partnership with Bloomberg New Energy Finance has found that a new market, for off-grid solar products, has opened up, worth an annual $300 million, with over 13 million off-grid solar products having been sold to date.
In Africa alone, sales have tripled in the last three years. The sub-Saharan market is said to be reporting the strongest sales with around 1.37 million products sold. South Asia is following closely behind, with roughly 1.28 million products sold.
A spokesperson for the report told pv magazine that of the products GOGLA and World Bank Lighting Global count, some 50% are solar lanterns with light only, while 45% are lamps with phone charging – out of a total of close to three million sold in first six months of 2015. In terms of values of sales, these figures change to 14% and 38%, respectively, they add.
While individual sales numbers are not known, the spokesperson said market leaders for solar lanterns are d.light and Greenlight Planet, while Mkopa is recognized as being a leader in solar home systems.
At present, states the report, more than one billion people live without access to basic electricity, while many have to rely on dirty diesel-powered generators or kerosene lamps. With the rise of the off-grid solar market, however, this is set to change.
Commenting on the importance of solar-powered products as replacements for diesel or kerosene powered ones, Koen Peters, GOGLA executive director told pv magazine, "As of today, one in every five people on this planet light their home with kerosene lanterns, power their radio with expensive batteries, walk for hours to charge their mobile phone down town, spend hard-earned cash on diesel to keep their businesses going. But we’re finding that people in developing countries are customers with very similar aspirations as everywhere else on the world, and this is not how they want to spend their money and time."
He continued, "Modern solar technology now offers solutions that are cheaper, safer, easier – indeed better in every respect. From quality, reliable solar lanterns that can now be sold for below USD 10 (and earned back from kerosene savings within weeks) to solar home systems that provide light, phone charging, radio, television and other basic services that are made affordable also to low-income customers with pay-as-you-go payment options. The demand is huge – and this market can only grow from here."
The full results of the report will be presented at the 4th International Off-Grid Lighting Conference and Exhibition, which is currently underway in Dubai.
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Is Renewable Energy Starting to Bend the Carbon Curve?
Oct 26, 2015 | Huffington Post
By Clayton B. Cornell
"This is what effective climate action looks like," tweeted Mary Nichols presenting this graph showing that California's drop in emissions is not due to a reduced economy.
Since 2006, the state has had a renewable energy standard requiring the addition of more clean power - now, in 2015, clean energy powers 25% of all electricity used in the 8th biggest economy in the world.The same thing is happening worldwide. As more renewable energy is being added to the world's grids, there has been a measurable drop in carbon emissions.
There might seem to be a sort of obvious connection between these two facts, but unlike Mary Nichols, most news reports have failed to put things together, treating them as separate news stories. Or rather, not covering the worldwide increase in renewable energy.
In recent years, there has been a spate of stories about lowered carbon emissions in the US, the EU, and China. But the drop in carbon emissions is typically attributed to reduced economic activity as a result of the global financial meltdown after 2008 - not the ramp-up in renewable energy that occurred at around the same time. The general media has been slow to make the connection to the increase in renewable energy that accounts for at least some of it.
Lower "demand growth" just means more people went solar.
One of the metrics looked at as a factor is lower demand growth. The assumption was that the only cause of reduced demand growth is reduced economic activity; and so researchers were expecting to see demand reduction as a result of the economic catastrophe.But actually, demand growth is also reduced every time anyone switches to incandescent lightbulbs, buys a more efficient fridge or computer or puts solar on their roof, or when a big box store gets its electricity from onsite solar or uses ice to freeze wind power at night to use it during the day to keep air conditioners humming.
The electric utility only sees that all of these customers now use less grid power; demand is reduced.
The clearest example is Australia, because the much touted utility death spiral is well under way there. In 2011, only 5% of Australian homes had solar, three years later, a world record 19% of Australian homes are solar powered.
Partly in response, Australian electric utilities raised prices, leading even more people to move to more efficient use of electricity to save money. With less use of grid electricity, demand growth has dropped in Australia, even as population and GDP has risen.
So there is a clear relationship between an increase in distributed generation and efficiency (which has grown in the last six years) and reduced demand growth.As more renewables are added, emissions go down.
A similar relationship is seen at the utility-scale with renewable energy. Over the last eight years, there has been a rise in renewable energy, and it is starting to show up in a slowed growth in carbon emissions. Since 2005, US emissions dropped 10%. In just 2014, the EU registered a 4.5% drop.
A spokesman for the European Wind Energy Association pointed out the connection between carbon emissions and renewable deployment to ReCharge."It's telling that power-sector emissions fell substantially more than industrial emissions. The rise in renewables generation has had a significant impact. Last year the wind industry installed more new capacity than gas and coal combined."
In the EU, almost 80% of new generation coming online by 2014 was renewable.
China has increased its installed capacity of wind power almost twenty-fold from just 5.9 GW in 2007 to an "astonishing" 116 GW in 2014 according to GWEC. China is building wind farms at an amazing clip - nearly 2 GW a month. That is like building two nuclear power-stations-worth of power every month.
And in 2014, for the first time, China's Carbon emissions dropped 2% as it cut coal use by nearly 8%, while ramping up its investment to $89 billion in clean energy, efficiency and energy storage.
Not only wind power has increased dramatically in China. In 2013, China had already begun to absorb some of its own overproduction that have caused solar panel prices to drop globally, adding 13 GW of solar.
"The IEA has identified shifting energy consumption in China, the most populous nation with 1.4 billion people, as among the reasons global carbon dioxide emissions was flat last year," said BNEF.
In the US, nearly all renewable energy has been added to the grid since 2008. (In fact, one connection to the global financial crisis was the stimulus which funded a lot of the huge renewable growth since 2008.)
US wind grew from 2.5 GW in 2000 to 67 GW as of the end of 2014.
Little weight has been given to the effect on GHGs of the Cap and Trade plan being implemented by the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) in 8 northeastern US states, which capped emissions from coal power plants, and ratcheted them down each year. Their cap and trade plan funneled what amounts to pollution fees to support and fund incentives and subsidies and grants for clean energy and efficiency.It's not the financial crisis.
The first stories to cover this - now 45% - drop attributed it to the 2008 economic meltdown.Only very recently have the - normally very fossil-friendly - EIA in the US, and the IEA internationally begun put the two trends together; that emissions are dropping in many regions around the world - precisely because of the rise in renewable generation.
At the end of 2014, EIA finally admitted that US carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) have declined in five of the past eight years, and actually linked it to the increase in clean energy.
"The overall decline in carbon intensity of electricity generation, through both reduced fossil fuel carbon intensity and increased noncarbon generation, has reduced cumulative CO2 emissions from power generation by about 1.6 billion metric tons since 2005."
Finally! So why has it taken so long for this connection to be made?People don't know, because renewable energy is not "news".
Even back in 2008, you could read news about 'clean tech' as they called it then, in regular sections in the New York Times, and other major news sites. No more.
Now, the only 'tech' covered on major news sites is electronic news about smart phone apps and various electronic gizmos. To find news about the rapid growth in renewable energy, you need to search out the few sites like Earthtechling that cover it, or just trade magazine sites like Renewable Energy World.
It's as if the topic of clean energy has as much general interest as some sort of dull subject of no great importance to the general public; as if it is about as relevant to the average person as tractor parts news.Yet this change in news coverage happened, ironically enough, just as renewable news has become more newsworthy. Assuming that climate change and the deployment of clean energy - the key to our potential for maintaining any long-term future civilization - is newsworthy.
But as a result of the ghetto-ization of renewable news, hurried general news reporters have been slow to connect the dots - that ramping up the amount of renewable energy on the grid is cutting carbon emissions.
But the evidence is there.
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US Clean Power Plan opponents say it will make building fossil fuel plants ‘virtually impossible’
Oct 26, 2015 | PV Tech
By Andy Colthorpe
Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan is under fire from more than 20 US states, from pro-coal industry groups and from electric utilities, with the government facing legal action for the proposed action on carbon emissions and other pollution.
The final version of the administration’s plan to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the US by 32% from 2005 levels by 2030 was put forward by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) on Friday and was immediately met with opposition. The plan also calls for 28% of electricity nationally to come from renewable sources, with states expected to comply with the plans by 2022.
Regional politicians including North Dakota senator John Hoeven and Patrick Morrisey, West Virginia’s attorney general, made statements against the measures, with Morrisey leading the filing of a petition in the US Court of Appeals in the District of Columbia circuit. Morrisey’s petition was signed by 23 other states, while Hoeven claimed to have united a “bipartisan group of senators” against them. Both men are Republicans however, and news sources includingNBC News reported that “all but two of the states in the filing are led by Republicans”.
Utility Georgia Power complained that it would have to close 4,800MW of fossil fuel generation by 2030, saying the company was “firmly committed to protecting the investments made in its operations”. John Hoeven’s office made a statement which said North Dakota’s coal plants were being treated “unfairly” and said the plan “virtually ensures no new [coal] plants can be built”.
Coal industry groups have reacted negatively, with the US National Mining Association (NMA) claiming there was “growing concern with the immediate economic consequences” of the carbon reduction plan, which is to be implemented as part of EPA’s Clean Air Act. NMA claimed its own legal challenge could prevent the closure of 200 coal mines before the plan’s implementation even begins.Government cites health and economic benefits
The government and EPA argue the benefits of the plan would include the prevention of 3,600 premature deaths a year and save the average consumer US$85 on their electricity bills in 2030, estimating net economic benefits of the plan to be as much as US$45 billion.
The plan is not without major backers either, including voices in the incumbent energy industry. The chairman of major utility E.On North America recently called on energy firms in the US to back the plan, stating that “there needs to be clear direction and clear policies in order to make a cleaner energy future possible”. Lynn Good, president and CEO of another big utility, Duke Energy, wasamong other backers of the plan when it was proposed in August.Consequences for solar
In a blog for PV Tech in September, Laura E. Stern of Nautilus Solar said there was “no doubt” the plan would lead to increased solar capacity. Discussing varies aspects of what the measures might mean for solar, Stern argued that removal of the 30% investment tax credit (ITC) incentive for solar, planned at the end of 2016, could be a barrier to achieving the plan’s target. President Obama had also announced a number of new support mechanisms for solar to go along with the Clean Power Plan however, including making another US$1 billion available for loan guarantees.
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Poland can boost renewable energy share to 25% by 2030 - IRENA
Oct 27, 2015 | SeeNews
By Ivan Shumkov
Poland can achieve a renewables share of nearly 38% in power generation and almost 25% in total final energy consumption by 2030 if it taps its vast wind resources, enhance power transmission and scale-up grid development.
This is unveiled in the International Renewable Energy Agency’s (IRENA) latest study -- REmap 2030 Renewable Energy Prospects for Poland -- which was prepared with input from the Polish Ministry of Economy and was released on Tuesday.
In 2010, Poland’s renewable energy share in power generation was just 7% and it can jump more than five-fold by 2030, according to IRENA’s report. The agency has also determined that renewables’ share in total final energy consumption can more than double to 24.7% by that year should the government doubles annual investments in the sector to USD 4.5 billion (EUR 4.07bn). Otherwise, under current policies, the country’s renewable energy share will only rise to 15.5%.
IRENA noted that doubling annual renewable energy investments could not only lower Poland’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, but also save up to USD 2 billion per year by the end of next decade, when taking into consideration externalities linked to health and environmental costs.
The REmap 2030 assumes that a combination of renewable energy technologies is deployed in both power and end-use sectors. For instance, onshore and offshore wind capacities are estimated at 16.4 GW in total, solar photovoltaics (PV) is seen at 5 GW and bioenergy reaches 5.2 GW by 2030.
IRENA points at power transmission and grid development as crucial factors when it comes to renewables' expansion in Poland. It notes that the existing interconnections with neighbouring countries are currently sufficient just because they are used at below capacity.
“Even in a country like Poland with cheap fossil-fuel based sources, renewable energy can be cost-competitive, reduce air pollution, enhance energy security, benefit the economy, and play a leading role in fighting climate change,” comments Adnan Amin, Director-General of IRENA.
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Morocco: Nearly 50% renewable electricity by 2020
Oct 27, 2015 | TreeHugger
By Sami Grover
Morocco has an awful lot of sun, an awful lot of desert and a high demand for imported fuel (94% of the country's energy needs are met by fossil fuel imports). And that's why,as reported over at The Guardian, the Moroccan government is moving ahead with a huge concentrated solar power plant near the desert city of Ouarzazate—one of four plants in total which, when complete, will have generating capacity of 580MW. Combined with the country's wind and hydro power efforts, Morocco's ambitious solar push will mean the country will source close to 50% of its electricity from renewable generation as early as 2020.
Phase 1 of the project, the 160MW Noor 1, is going to start generating electricity next month and includes a capacity for molten sand energy storage which will allow up to 3 hours of electricity generation after the sun goes down. Phases 2 and 3 will have the capacity for up to eight hours of storage, meaning that solar energy really could be used to power homes around the clock. There are also significant efforts underway to improve interconnectors between countries and even across continents, selling surplus electricity to neighboring countries and Europe.
Besides the sheer scale of such initiatives, what's impressive to me is how quickly they can be deployed. What other forms of energy could so drastically alter a country's energy mix in just a few short years? Not only should this be an encouraging sign for those of us who favor renewables. It should also give cause to would-be investors in traditional fossil fuel generating capacity. After all, anyone investing in a coal- or gas-fired power plant shouldn't just factor in how competitive these fuel sources are now—but how competitive will they be in 20 or 30 years time?
If the world does get serious about slashing fossil fuel subsidies (Morocco has already pledged to do just that), if policy makers do start ramping up emissions cuts, and ifrenewable energy costs continue to fall, even existing coal and gas plants will find themselves squeezed by newer, cleaner forms of energy that can be scaled up rapidly.
Interestingly, some analysts suggest this is happening already. In the US, for example,coal power plants are being retired earlier than expected due to a combination of increased competition from gas and renewables, as well as tighter regulation of emissions. Also, increasing amounts of solar and wind cause gas and coal plants to sit idle, significantly reducing their profitability and further giving an edge to the clean energy competition.
If this proves to be the case in North Africa too, Morocco's solar ambitions could help transform the energy system well beyond its own borders.
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Energy Africa Campaign To Boost Rural Solar Access
Oct 27, 2015 | CleanTechnica
By Joshua S Hill
The UK Government has launched its Energy Africa campaign, in an effort to accelerate the expansion of household solar throughout the continent.
Launched last week, Energy Africa is the brainchild of the UK’s Department for International Development, and was announced by its Minister, Grant Shapps, last Thursday, at Facebook’s offices in London, and included attendance by the Chair of the Africa Progress Panel and Former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, African Union Commission chairperson Madame Zuma, the Nigerian Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Founder of Virgin Group, Richard Branson, and activist Bob Geldof.
The need is unsurprisingly urgent — two out of three people currently living in Africa do not have electricity in their homes. 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa are completely without electricity — approximately 70% of the population. Unfortunately, according to the UK Government, if something is not done to avert the current trajectory, it would take until 2080 for the continent to reach universal electricity access — dramatically impacting millions of lives.
“It is shocking that around two out of three of the African population have no electricity in their homes,” said Grant Shapps. “This not only holds back individuals, but entire nations. It prevents businesses from trading and holds back economic growth – indeed outages cost African countries 1-2% of their annual GDP.”
Energy Africa, therefore, intends to remedy this problem by accelerating the development of Africa’s emerging solar market, working with African governments, investors, businesses, NGOs, think tanks, and other donors. Specifically, Energy Africa will aim to “increase investment in off-grid energy firms, overcome regulatory barriers, foster innovation, and accelerate delivery of solar energy systems to households across Africa.”
“Solar is a tremendous opportunity for African countries to leapfrog traditional carbon intense energy systems to a cost effective, clean energy future,” said Richard Branson. “Brought to scale, it will give countries a stable, reliable energy source and boost job growth. Virgin is planning to invest in a number of projects to help turn this into a reality.”
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