Sub-Saharan Africa

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.

The Indian Ocean state has received $10m in concessional loan funding from the development agency of Abu Dhabi, in a program co-financed by the International Renewable Energy Agency.

The International Solar Alliance has selected India’s Super Energy Service Company to roll out its agricultural solar initiative across 13 nations. Almost a third of India’s three crore of agricultural pumps are currently powered by diesel.

While Africa has emerged as a dynamic, fast-moving hub, Asia leads in capacity deployment with its total capacity more than tripling to nearly 4.3 GW in 2017 from 1.3 GW in 2008, finds IRENA. Particularly, in India, a strong policy has pushed deployment of off-grid solar for agriculture and public end-uses.

A new report published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization outlines the benefits of solar powered irrigation systems to both large and small scale farming operations in developing countries. The report also stresses the need for comprehensive management and regulation of such systems, to avoid unsustainable water use.