Africa is quickly becoming one of the most significant regions in the global expansion of the solar PV industry. The high levels of solar irradiation, extreme (and growing) energy demand, an increasing amount of renewable energy related commitments by governments in the region, and the lack of reliable energy infrastructure are just some of the factors that are sparking growing interest from local businesses and international stakeholders alike

This is the inaugural issue of a quarterly assessment of the latest developments in distributed energy and electrification in emerging or remote markets.

Kenya’s energy sector is dynamic characterized by aggressive grid extension plans and a vibrant off-grid solar market. However, the country’s dispersed population presents challenges for electrification. To bridge this gap home solar energy systems have become particularly popular. Moreover, there is greater investment in building mini-grids to power remote populations.

Every year ARENA publishes its "Annual review of employment in renewables" among other annual reports. The 2020 edition is now available. It provides the latest available estimates of renewable energy employment and continues to refine and improve data and methodologies. Global numbers are based on a wide range of studies. Those studies apply varying methodologies to information of varying detail and quality.

It is to be noticed that employment in renewable energy worldwide was estimated at 11.5 million in 2019, up from 11 million in 2018. Women hold 32% of these jobs. Then, the solar PV industry retains the top spot, with 33% of the total renewable energy workforce. Another point is that building the skills base necessary to support the ongoing global energy transition from fossil fuels to renewables requires more vocational training, stronger curricula, more teacher training and expanded use of information and communications technology for remote learning. Finally, the COVID-19 pandemic reinforced the importance of strong policy frameworks for renewables to achieve social, economic and environmental objectives.

For more details, download the report.

GOGLA and its partner have published the "Global Off-Grid Solar Market Report Semi-Annual Sales and Impact Data". It shows how the COVID-19 outbreak has negatively impacted economic activities of mini grid developers. Throughout the supply chain from manufacturing to last mile distribution, companies in the off-grid solar sector are experiencing varying degrees of vulnerability and disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Find out more, download the report…

Productive uses of electricity in Tanzania.

Mini-grids could help unlock inclusive growth in remote rural areas, but few proactively stimulate productive uses of electricity, as this often requires resource-consuming actions and expertise. This paper characterizes the current mini-grids industry, taking into account operators’ models and strategies. It then focuses on Tanzania, in particular JUMEME, a new and sophisticated private initiative that aims to build energy use and bring a strong added value to rural areas. It ends with recommendations for helping such private actors develop the areas they serve.

This section has six documents produced by GM on Mini-Grid and Productive Use of Energy. The documents are focused on providing business technical assistance, capital, and talent resources to catalyze the mini-grid and productive use of energy sectors forward in Sub-Saharan Africa.

This section has six documents produced by GM on Mini-Grid and Productive Use of Energy. The documents are focused on providing business technical assistance, capital, and talent resources to catalyze the mini-grid and productive use of energy sectors forward in Sub-Saharan Africa.

This section has six documents produced by GM on Mini-Grid and Productive Use of Energy. The documents are focused on providing business technical assistance, capital, and talent resources to catalyze the mini-grid and productive use of energy sectors forward in Sub-Saharan Africa.

This section has six documents produced by GM on Mini-Grid and Productive Use of Energy. The documents are focused on providing business technical assistance, capital, and talent resources to catalyze the mini-grid and productive use of energy sectors forward in Sub-Saharan Africa.