Tag Archives: Solar Energy

Solar and renewable energy trends in 2023

by Sven Lindström, CEO, Midsummer Industry veteran Sven Lindström, CEO of Swedish solar energy leader Midsummer, has predicted New Year’s energy trends since 2014 – often highly accurately. Again gazing into the crystal ball, this is what he sees as the three strongest trends in renewable energy as we move into 2023: Exactly a year […]

Vote for Stellenbosch’s Smartest City Solutions: Finalists announced in Stellenbosch Network’s second annual #IdeasForChange Challenge

For the past few weeks, Stellenbosch’s best and brightest minds have been pitching their novel ideas to turn Stellenbosch into a ‘Smarter City’ as part of the second annual #IdeasForChange Challenge. After much deliberation, the judges have announced their top three finalists who will now be entered into a poll on social media and vie […]

African climate innovators dominate global climate prize at COP26

Four African climate innovators were named as winners at 2021’s presigious Ashden Awards held on November 4 at the global climate summit COP26 in Glasgow, UK. Three more of the continent’s low carbon pioneers were announced as runners up. The Ashden Awards honour pioneering organisations from the UK and low-income countries lowering carbon emissions and […]

Resilience is the mother of all virtues… and the key to unlocking successful independent power projects in Nigeria

By Nicolas Mathon, Director, Project Development, Africa and Europe, Wärtsilä Energy The successful completion of the Azura Edo 450 MW gas-fired power project in 2016 was hailed at the time as setting the blueprint for future independent power projects in Nigeria. The $900 million plant, which gathered 20 international banks and equity financing partners from more than […]

Zimbabwe’s Largest Tea Producer Implements Microgrid from DHYBRID and Blockpower

Project to be showcased at EM-Power in Munich, Germany, October 6-8, 2021 Tanganda Tea Company Limited, Zimbabwe’s largest tea producer and one of the largest on the African continent, uses its own microgrids at Tingamira and Jersey sites for secure and environmentally friendly energy supply since July 2021. The system consists of a megawatt-class solar […]

Dispatchable Renewable Energy: An Answer to Load Shedding

In 2020, South Africans experienced the most intensive load shedding to date.  These crippling power cuts, which amounted to a staggering 856 hours, almost 10% of available hours, cost the economy billions of Rands. Poor performance at several power stations, including Kusile and Tutuka, resulted in a rapid depletion of Eskom’s emergency generation reserves. Furthermore, […]

Tunisia welcomes the 13th edition of Africa PPP virtually, on 1-2 December 2021

Tunisia is the host country of the 13th Africa Public Private Partnership Virtual Conference that will take place on 1-2 December 2021 under the virtual format. This edition will be bilingual in English and French, and this year it includes an additional training-day on the 3rd of December. The Tunisian Government welcomes the virtual event in […]

New thermal battery and solar tech help mining companies get rid of diesel

247Solar launches HeatStorE™, a long duration thermal battery made for adding more renewables to remote mining operations, industrial and grid solutions than is feasible with conventional batteries Great Falls, VA, USA, June 24th, 2021 – A robust new battery from 247Solar Inc., a spinoff of MIT, operates almost like an electrochemical battery but has significant […]

Somaliland: Solar Power and Microgrid Intelligence for an Urban Power Grid

DHYBRID Technology Improves Supply Security to City and Port of Berbera Berbera (Somaliland)/Gauting (Germany), June 22, 2021. As of April 2021, the citywide power grid supplying the city of Berbera, home to the largest port in the area, is being monitored and controlled using DHYBRID microgrid technology. For this purpose, two solar plants with a […]

Solar Cow- a Samaritan for the Children in Need

The relief of indigence is the primary goal in bringing about a positive change in the lifestyles of children in Africa. To this day, 1 in every 5 children in Africa is devoid of the right to education owing to child labor. Since electricity is a dire need of people even in the utmost rural […]

Mozambique holds the key to Southern Africa’s clean energy transition

By Fhedzi Modau, Mozambique Country Manager, Wartsila Energy Business With its massive gas reserves and billions of dollars of investment flowing in to monetize them, Mozambique has a unique opportunity to deploy a flexible power strategy that will bring major benefits across both its domestic and regional electricity markets. Countries across Southern Africa have established […]

Without flexibility, Nigeria will face difficulties integrating large amounts of renewable energy into the grid

Op-ed by Wale Yusuff, Managing Director of  Wartsila Marine & Power Service Nig Ltd As the largest economy in Africa, with huge gas reserves and high solar energy potential, Nigeria has all the natural resources necessary to meet the growing demand for electricity. However, the inadequate energy infrastructure still leaves a significant part of the population without […]

Without flexibility, the energy revolution in Africa will not take place

Sunrise over solar panels. hazy morning

It is no longer disputable that the energy transition integrating renewable energies into the grid is a reality that is unfolding globally. This can be observed at different rates and scales according to the countries, but the constant increase in demand and the continuous drop in the prices of these technologies will imply that renewable […]

Energy storage technology will make blackouts in Africa ancient history

Energy system integration night

A shift from Africa’s traditional approach to power generation is needed to unleash the continent’s clean energy potential and secure an African future free from blackouts. A strategy centred around energy storage and flexible power systems will be the key to guaranteeing the reliability of a high-renewable grid, while also lowering the cost of electricity […]

Loadshedding: why mini grids are the answer and why South Africa doesn’t have them (yet)

ENGIE starts operations of Kathu, a 100 MW Concentrated Solar Plant and one of South Africa’s largest renewable energy projects

“Whole communities and towns can become 100% energy independent” “Mini grids could very quickly sort out a lot of the biggest challenges that South Africa is having with its energy supply at the moment” says Dr Sam Duby, Africa Director for TFE Energy and mini grid expert. He adds: “deregulation would open a market for […]

Friday@Noon on Renewable Energy in Africa: 2018

African Business News

by Johan Burger The NTU-SBF Centre for African Studies publishes a weekly newsletter on issues relevant to Africa. This paper is based on issues addressed in the newsletter. A trend of earlier years in which we saw the further growth and development of the renewable energy sector, has continued in 2018. Renewable energy is becoming […]

AE-AMD Renewable Energy And Tenesol/SunPower Begin Work On Two Solar Projects In South Africa

Projects are Part of Government’s IPP Procurement Program   JOHANNESBURG and SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — AE-AMD Renewable Energy, a joint venture between the Spanish AMDA energia and the South African Alt-E Technologies, and Tenesol, a SunPower company (NASDAQ: SPWR), today announced two South African ground-mounted solar power projects totaling 33 megawatts (MW).  […]

Canadian Solar Supplies Modules for Turkey’s Largest Commercial PV Project: 540 kW Solar Power Plant at Izmir Airport Installed by Gehrlicher Merk Solar

First PV project under the new Turkish 500 kW law   ONTARIO, Canada, Nov., 2012 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Canadian Solar Inc. (the “Company” or “Canadian Solar”) (NASDAQ: CSIQ), one of the world’s largest solar companies, provided its CS6P-P solar modules for the first project under the new Turkish solar energy legislation, YEK (Law on the utilization […]

SunEdison Closes 98 MW of Solar Projects in Europe

SunEdison demonstrates its ability to deploy high value solar assets in Europe and to structure complex transactions attracting world class financing partners BELMONT, Calif., July 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — SunEdison, a leading worldwide solar energy services provider and a subsidiary of MEMC Electronic Materials (NYSE: WFR), today provided additional details on the solar project closings announced […]

Solamon Enters Mauritius Market; Set to Provide Large-Scale Solar Energy Projects

  Solamon enters Mauritius market; set to provide large-scale solar energy projects. Toronto, Canada, July 07, 2012 –(PR.com)– Earlier today Jay Yeo, President, Solamon Energy Corp., proudly announced the company has entered The Republic of Mauritius and over the next few months will aggressively pursue its goal to sell large-scale solar arrays across fields, parking […]

Clean Power Africa in Cape Town to focus on new opportunities in hydro and solar industries

South African Energy Minister Dipuo Peters to welcome delegates The Clean Power Africa conference and exhibition in Cape Town in September will focus on new opportunities in the clean energy sectors such as retrofitting hydropower to current dams and helping the mining industry to use excess water to provide onsite power. South Africa’s Energy Minister […]

IFC and Norway’s Scatec Solar to Develop Solar Power in West and Central Africa

WASHINGTON, June 11, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and Scatec Solar, a Norwegian company specializing in photovoltaic solar systems, have signed an agreement to develop solar power projects that will supply renewable energy to address electricity needs in parts of West and Central Africa. IFC InfraVentures, the […]