Sub-Saharan Africa

With this, the West African nation becomes the first International Solar Alliance (ISA) member to avail services of NTPC. Presently, there are six programmes of the ISA to develop solar capacities in member countries, which include agricultural pumps, mini grids, rooftop solar, large-scale grid connected projects, etc.

The partnership allows Orange subscribers to access Greenlight Planet’s off-grid solar systems via simple mobile pre-payment, wherever they are and regardless of their total energy needs.

Industry body Gogla and the World Bank’s Lighting Global program said the last six months set a record for off-grid solar deployment. Solar home systems and other small off-grid appliances are being used in ever larger numbers.

With India losing major solar markets to stiffer competition from cheaper products, it’s high time to change the game by playing on quality and innovation—according to Vikram Solar Chief Financial Officer Rajendra Kumar Parakh, who spoke to pv magazine on the challenge of shrinking markets before Indian solar manufacturers.

An Indian non-profit and a global conservation charity have joined forces to bring solar lighting and heating to off-grid rural areas in Africa – and they are doing it with an army of middle-aged women: the ‘Solar Mamas’.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo will use the amount for installation of three solar PV power projects with a total capacity of 35 MW in the three provinces of Karawa, Mbandaka and Lusambo.

The state-owned power generator will follow the bidding route for development of solar projects in African countries that are members of the International Solar Alliance.

The fate of the clutch of 500 MW-plus projects due to break ground this year could determine whether such ambitious schemes have a viable future, says Wood Mackenzie in its solar 2019 forecast. And the Indian market should brace for consolidation, add the analysts, because of aggressive reverse-auction tariff pricing.

The iSTAR-C program of India’s International Solar Alliance (ISA) was adjudged an outstanding project during the Paris Peace Forum this month. The program is one of many ISA initiatives to develop solar resources in member countries. After the first assembly of the ISA, interim Director-General Upendra Tripathy tells pv magazine about the organization’s achievements and plans.

The 7 MW solar facility will sell power to local state-owned utility Nigelec. The project was developed with the support of the Indian government.