Tanzania

The US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has added a high-resolution solar data set covering Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East on its Renewable Energy Data Explorer tool.

Researchers and investors say they see room for PV investments in Zanzibar, due to the energy needs of many luxury holiday resorts.

For the many millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa who lack access to electric lighting, sunset brings an almost enveloping dark. But Light Libraries is one handy solar-powered program that brings an affordable end to darkness for school students. pv magazine sat down with Sofia Ollvid from SolarAid to discuss how these libraries work.

pv magazine has spoken to Bill Lenihan, CEO of Netherlands-based energy system installer start-up Zola Electric – formerly Off Grid Electric – to find out how the business intends to spend the $90 million debt and equity investment it recently raised.

With pressure mounting on the world’s governments to turn their back on the fossil fuel, China and peers in South East Asia, Europe and South Asia could help deliver a coal-free future at the COP26 climate summit planned in Glasgow in November.

A report commissioned by EU lender the EIB has dismissed the role solar mini-grids can play in achieving universal electrification by 2030 and signaled distribution to individual households should be the way forward, including sales to the residents of UN refugee camps in East Africa.

The Africa Solar Industry Association has recorded almost 2 GW of large scale project announcements since the start of last month with 18 countries planning new clean power infrastructure and including energy storage in the plants.

European development campaign the Electricity Financing Initiative has invested around €1.26 million in a €1.5 million bond issued by domestic solar products supplier Simusolar.

The solar facility is intended at reducing the country’s dependency on hydropower, especially during drought periods.

Nigeria and Ghana-based Starsight Energy has spent an undisclosed amount to acquire a half stake in the Kenyan subsidiary of East African peer Premier Solar Group.