The often African-owned companies operate in areas where the vast majority of people live disconnected from the electricity grid, and offer products ranging from solar-powered lamps that allow children to study at night to elaborate home systems that power kitchen appliances and plasma televisions. Prices range from less than $20 for a solar-powered lamp to thousands of dollars for home appliances and entertainment systems.
With 220 million people in West Africa living without power, the electrification rate in some areas is as low as 8%. Many households rely on costly kerosene, which poses health risks and fire hazards.
At the last United Nations climate summit, the world agreed on the goal of tripling renewable power generation capacity by 2050. Solar has emerged as a cost-effective solution to provide electricity in Africa.
The International Energy Agency reported that while small and medium-sized solar companies are making rapid progress in reaching homes, significantly more investment is required to achieve the goal of providing electricity access to all African homes and businesses by 2030.
Collection
[
|
...
]