Convalt Energy commits to community solar plants in Chad
US-based Convalt Energy has signed a memorandum of understanding with Chad’s Ministry of Water and Energy for three community solar plants totaling 3 MW, along with 1.5 MWh of battery storage.
South Africa deploys 961 MW of solar in January-October period
The South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) has shared forecasts with pv magazine projecting strong growth for the nation’s solar sector, despite a decline in deployment compared to last year. Utility-scale public sector plants are scheduled to come online next year for the first time since 2019.
South African rail operator launches solar tender
The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has opened an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) tender for solar installations at its sites across the country. The deadline for expressions of interest is Jan. 21, 2025.
African solar looks beyond donor nations for investment
Multilateral organizations the World Bank and African Development Bank (AfDB) have played a key role in the development of African solar and want to attract more private capital to a continent with at least 40% of the world’s solar irradiation but currently only 1% of its PV generation capacity.
Eskom tenders 72 MW of solar at coal power plant
Eskom is seeking a contractor to provide turnkey design, engineering, operation and maintenance services for a solar project at the Komati Power Station, South Africa.
Somalia launches tender for off-grid solar-plus-storage at 25 health facilities
Somalia’s Ministry of Energy and Minerals said the solar-plus-storage systems will be deployed in the Marodi-Jeeh and Awdal regions.
Nigeria’s C&I solar plans under a cloud of diesel
A new approach aims to reconnect commercial and industrial (C&I) energy users to the grid, supplying daytime power from solar and batteries through grid infrastructure funded by PV installers, with diesel as a backup when needed.
Agrivoltaics can improve water conservation in Africa
Research led by the University of Sheffield installed an off-grid agrivoltaic system in Tanzania and a grid-tied agrivoltaic system in Kenya. They found the installations helped boost crop yield and conserve water while generating electricity at a lower cost than the national grid.
Desert-to-Power initiative seeks project coordinator
The African Development Bank’s (AfDB) Desert-to-Power (DtP) initiative, which aims to install 10 GW of solar across 11 Sahel countries by 2030, is hiring a project coordinator. The application deadline is Dec. 20.
New algorithm may help mitigate unequal power curtailment
Developed by researchers in South Africa, the proposed technique is based on the water cycle algorithm (WCA), a population-based metaheuristic optimization algorithm that is inspired by the water cycle process in nature and how streams and rivers flow into the sea.
