Africa awash in sunlight, but not solar energy
Paris, France | Sep 28 2008 | Mail & Guardian
From household solar panels to thermal generators big enough to power a town, sun power has enjoyed explosive growth around the world. Everywhere, that is, except on the sun-drenched continent of Africa. With an average daily dose of five-to-seven kilowatt hours (kWh) for every square metre, Africa has more potential for producing energy from the sun than almost anywhere on Earth, with the possible exception of northern Australia or the Arabian peninsula.
Yet the continent accounts for only a miniscule percentage of the world's solar energy output. And most of what it does generate is produced in one country, South Africa. "In Africa, there is a growing awareness of the potential benefits of solar, especially as the conventional grid continues to prove unreliable. Lots of people are looking for alternatives," said Lawrence Agbemabiese, a Paris-based energy expert at the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep).
And the need for energy could hardly be more urgent: in sub-Saharan Africa, barely one person out of four has access to grid electricity. And in the region's rural areas, this falls to just a tenth. At the micro scale, grassroots groups are pushing solar through simple, low-tech applications. One such example is the solar cooker, in which a polished concave dish focuses sunbeams on to a pot, slowly heating water.
Cont.: mg.co.za
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