Development of Wind Energy in Africa

African nations, blessed with sunlight all year round, they exploit this free and clean energy source to light remote and isolated houses that have no immediate hope of connecting to their national electricity grid. Under the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, nations are seeking innovative alternatives to give rural families efficient means to cook their food and light their homes. Standalone energy sources, like solar, wind and mini hydro generators, might help fill the gap. NEPAD, Africa’s development blueprint, recognizes that to attain the desired social and economic prosperity, nations must encourage access to cheaper and reliable energy. Excluding South Africa and Egypt, no more than 20 percent of Africans have electricity.

Africa, after all, possesses some of the world’s largest watercourses, as well since some of the world’s largest oil, coal and gas reserves. The way to move the NEPAD vision ahead, he adds, is for nations to find cheaper power sources while reducing environmental hazards and ensuring sustainability. The energy expert believes that solar energy, clean and renewable, fits the bill. African nations must think outside the box. The sun is free and inexhaustible.

Solar Technology:

Photovoltaic Panels – Converts the sun’s radiation directly into electricity with no pollution or harm to the environment. The panels can generate enough energy to run stoves, pump water, light clinics and power televisions.

Africa has among the best climates for this kind of energy, Mr. Even with the compelling advantages solar energy offers, the Human Development Report, published by the UN Development Programme, shows that the majority of Africans still rely on not as efficient traditional energy sources. During the early 1990s, numerous villages turned to solar energy in portions of Africa where one might least expect to stumble upon an oasis of lights shining in the pitch black night. The initiative, jointly funded by GEF and Zimbabwe, installed some 9,000 solar energy systems through the nation in an attempt to improve living standards, but additionally to curtail land degradation and pollution.

A typical home system in Sub Saharan Africa costs anyplace between $500 and $1,000 and such systems generally provide enough power to light 3 to six rooms and power a White and Black Television each night. However the cost is well beyond the means of most African households. Installing solar power panels to power multiple houses at once may also cut down on costs. More households could afford solar energy, argues the World Bank, if governments were to remove barriers, like high import duties, that increase the cost of the panels. African leaders are demonstrating commitment to bring solar energy to rural homes. A UNDP GEF report on solar financing and delivery models notes that private sales, through dealers, initially dominated the market in South Africa, but that the government, a leading NEPAD proponent, later initiated an enormous off grid effort that’s now fully active.