Articles written by Cosmas Mwirigi

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Applications & Installations
Africa’s winners and losers in the bid to go solar While East Africa – and Kenya is particular – has made great strides in the provision of off-grid solar systems, Central Africa is a long way behind, according to a new report from IRENA and the African Development Bank. In terms of investment, the study’s authors wrote, much, much more will be required to achieve universal electricity access this decade.
Cosmas Mwirigi
Jan 25, 2022
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Applications & Installations
Nhimbe Fresh’s solar-powered blueberries Cape Town-based solar crowdfunding platform The Sun Exchange in April announced completion of its largest funding call, for US$1.4 million to finance what it described as a 510kW solar-plus-storage facility for Zimbawean food company Nhimbe Fresh. With the first part of a planned three-phase “going solar” transformation of the business complete, pv magazine spoke to The Sun Exchange founder and CEO Abraham Cambridge, and to Nhimbe Fresh chairman Edwin Masimba Moyo.
Cosmas Mwirigi
Jan 19, 2022
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Applications & Installations
‘Africa’s leaders need to walk the walk on solar’ Attendees at an online event dedicated to rooftop solar in Central Africa called for customer incentives, tax exemptions for solar kit, feed-in tariffs, installation standards, affordable finance, grid connections and recycling policies across the region.
Cosmas Mwirigi
Dec 20, 2021
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Applications & Installations
Uganda turns to solar mini-grids to level-up its northern region A spokesperson for London-based installer Winch said the subsidized, $0.29/kWh electricity the networks will offer to villagers is the lowest price for such a system anywhere in the world.
Cosmas Mwirigi
Dec 09, 2021
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Applications & Installations
German development bank allots fresh €49m for African mini-grids A new foundation set up by KfW will offer grants to attract investment in a bid to offer more than 350,000 people access to clean electricity.
Cosmas Mwirigi
Dec 08, 2021
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Markets & Policy
African Energy Week highlights lack of support for renewables The closing day of the African Energy Week event held in South Africa this month heard voices casting doubt on a renewables-only energy transition and calling for a gradual change and continued investment in petrochemical production.
Cosmas Mwirigi
Nov 23, 2021
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Applications & Installations
‘Africa should harness green hydrogen, not just export it’ Instead of using its abundant cheap renewable energy potential to generate the gas simply to feed the appetite of industrial consumers in Europe and elsewhere, Africa could attract the heavy manufacturing sectors concerned, such as steelmakers, to its shores, the African Energy Week event heard.
Cosmas Mwirigi
Nov 18, 2021
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Markets & Policy
Nigeria franchising out sections of power distribution network The move will encourage private sector renewables companies to be part of the national energy industry, a representative of the regulator told a recent webinar which considered how to accelerate clean energy roll-out in Africa.
Cosmas Mwirigi
Oct 26, 2021
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Applications & Installations
French developer secures backing for 30 MW in Burkina Faso GreenYellow, a French energy solutions provider, has secured a €4.5 million guarantee from the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency to facilitate the construction, operation and maintenance of a 30 MWp solar project in Burkina Faso.
Cosmas Mwirigi
Oct 12, 2021
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