{"id":5191,"date":"2016-09-22T18:12:59","date_gmt":"2016-09-22T18:12:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/?p=5191"},"modified":"2017-01-24T18:31:44","modified_gmt":"2017-01-24T18:31:44","slug":"solar-pv-poised-to-boom-in-africa-thanks-to-declining-costs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/solar-pv-poised-to-boom-in-africa-thanks-to-declining-costs\/","title":{"rendered":"Solar PV Poised to Boom in Africa Thanks to Declining Costs"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Falling technology costs make solar PV one of the cheapest ways to meet power needs and increase energy access on the continent\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The business case for solar photovoltaics (PV) in Africa is stronger than ever thanks to rapidly declining technology costs, according to a new report released today by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).\u00a0Solar PV in Africa: Costs and Markets, estimates that installed costs for power generated by utility-scale solar PV projects in Africa have decreased as much as 61 per cent since 2012.<\/p>\n<p>Today, installed costs for these projects are as low as USD 1.30 per watt in Africa, compared to the global average of USD 1.80 per watt.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn recent years, solar PV costs have dropped dramatically and will continue to do so with further declines of up to 59 per cent possible in the next ten years,\u201d said IRENA Director-General Adnan Z. Amin. \u201cThese cost reductions, coupled with vast solar potential on the continent, present a huge opportunity for Africa. Both grid-connected and off-grid solar PV now offer a cost-competitive means to meet rising energy needs and bring electricity to the 600 million Africans who currently lack access.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mini-grids utilising solar PV and off-grid solar home systems also provide higher quality energy services at the same or lower costs than the alternatives, finds the report. Stand-alone solar PV mini-grids have installed costs in Africa as low as USD 1.90 per watt for systems larger than 200 kilowatts. Solar home systems \u2013 which have tripled in Africa between 2010 and 2014 \u2013 provide the annual electricity needs of off-grid households for as little as USD 56 per year, less than what they currently pay for poor quality energy services.<\/p>\n<p>Global capacity additions for solar PV have increased six-fold since 2009, a trend that is now begining to materialise in Africa. More than 800 new megawatts (MW) of solar PV capacity was added in Africa in 2014 \u2013 doubling the continents cumulative capacity \u2013 and another 750 MW was added in 2015. IRENA estimates that with the right enabling policies, Africa could be home to more than 70 gigawatts of solar PV capacity by 2030.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAfrica\u2019s solar potential is enormous, with solar irradiation levels up to 117 per cent higher than in Germany \u2013 the country with the highest installed solar power capacity,\u201d said Mr. Amin. \u201cIt has never been more possible, and less expensive for Africa to realise this potential.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Solar PV in Africa: Costs and Markets, provides an overview of the most comprehensive costing data available on solar PV in Africa. It reviews market opportunities and challenges. \u00a0and recommends actions to collect more robust data for future analysis.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Falling technology costs make solar PV one of the cheapest ways to meet power needs and increase energy access on the continent\u00a0 The business case for solar photovoltaics (PV) in &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/solar-pv-poised-to-boom-in-africa-thanks-to-declining-costs\/\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":5192,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4746,4748],"tags":[63,530,730,742,5221,4783,5220,5222,5219,5218],"class_list":["post-5191","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-renewables-2","category-solar","tag-africa","tag-costs","tag-electricity","tag-energy","tag-grid-connected","tag-international-renewable-energy-agency","tag-irena","tag-off-grid","tag-solar-photovoltaics","tag-solar-pv","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Solar-Energy.png?fit=588%2C391&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5JWkQ-1lJ","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6689,"url":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/onshore-wind-power-now-affordable-source-solar-halve-2020\/","url_meta":{"origin":5191,"position":0},"title":"Onshore Wind Power Now as Affordable as Any Other Source, Solar to Halve by 2020","author":"","date":"January 15, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"New IRENA report finds all renewable technologies to be competitive by 2020 New age of renewable energy driven by technology improvements, competitive procurement, and a growing cadre of highly experienced, global project developers \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The cost of generating power from onshore wind has fallen by around a quarter since 2010,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Renewables 2&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Renewables 2","link":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/category\/renewables-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/wind-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C884&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/wind-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C884&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/wind-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C884&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/wind-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C884&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/wind-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C884&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7888,"url":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/double-the-share-of-renewables-in-the-decade-of-action-to-achieve-energy-transition-objectives\/","url_meta":{"origin":5191,"position":1},"title":"Double the Share of Renewables in the \u2018Decade of Action\u2019 to Achieve Energy Transition Objectives","author":"","date":"January 13, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"The share of renewables in global power should more than double by 2030 to advance the global energy transformation, achieve sustainable development goals and a pathway to climate safety, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Renewable electricity should supply 57 per cent of global power by the end\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Renewables 2&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Renewables 2","link":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/category\/renewables-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IRENA.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IRENA.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IRENA.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IRENA.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IRENA.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5188,"url":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/ustda-launches-its-largest-single-investment-in-kenyas-energy-sector\/","url_meta":{"origin":5191,"position":2},"title":"USTDA Launches its Largest Single Investment in Kenya\u2019s Energy Sector","author":"","date":"September 21, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Today, during the U.S.-Africa Business Forum, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency launched its largest single investment in Kenya\u2019s power sector to date\u00a0 at a ceremony witnessed by the Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya, the Honorable William Ruto, and Power Africa Coordinator Andrew Herscowitz, USTDA Director Leocadia I.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Geothermal&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Geothermal","link":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/category\/renewables-2\/geothermal\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/USTDA.jpg?fit=960%2C640&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/USTDA.jpg?fit=960%2C640&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/USTDA.jpg?fit=960%2C640&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/USTDA.jpg?fit=960%2C640&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12997,"url":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/south-africa-amea-power-awarded-the-doornhoek-pv-120mw-solar-project\/","url_meta":{"origin":5191,"position":3},"title":"SOUTH AFRICA: AMEA Power Awarded the Doornhoek PV 120MW Solar Project","author":"","date":"December 16, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"AMEA Power, one of the fastest growing renewable energy companies in the Middle East, announced today that it has been awarded a 120MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project in South Africa as part of the Sixth Bid Submission Phase of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement (REIPPP) Program. The Doornhoek\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Countries&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Countries","link":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/category\/countries\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/AMEA-Power-Awarded-120MW-Solar-Project-in-South-Africa-1200x900-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/AMEA-Power-Awarded-120MW-Solar-Project-in-South-Africa-1200x900-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/AMEA-Power-Awarded-120MW-Solar-Project-in-South-Africa-1200x900-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/AMEA-Power-Awarded-120MW-Solar-Project-in-South-Africa-1200x900-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/AMEA-Power-Awarded-120MW-Solar-Project-in-South-Africa-1200x900-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10220,"url":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/energy-storage-to-enable-the-continued-growth-of-renewables-in-kenya\/","url_meta":{"origin":5191,"position":4},"title":"Energy Storage to Enable the Continued Growth of Renewables in Kenya","author":"","date":"April 14, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"By Michael Ball, Project Development Manager for Africa and Europe, W\u00e4rtsil\u00e4 According to the government's power development plans, the next decade will see many new solar PV and wind power plants added to the national grid. This new capacity would support in supplying the country's growing electricity demand, resulting from\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Countries&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Countries","link":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/category\/countries\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/PHOTO-Solar-PV-Wartsila-Kenya.jpg?fit=1200%2C750&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/PHOTO-Solar-PV-Wartsila-Kenya.jpg?fit=1200%2C750&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/PHOTO-Solar-PV-Wartsila-Kenya.jpg?fit=1200%2C750&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/PHOTO-Solar-PV-Wartsila-Kenya.jpg?fit=1200%2C750&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/PHOTO-Solar-PV-Wartsila-Kenya.jpg?fit=1200%2C750&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14553,"url":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/south-africa-mainstream-renewable-power-reaches-financial-close-on-50-mw-solar-pv-plant\/","url_meta":{"origin":5191,"position":5},"title":"SOUTH AFRICA: Mainstream Renewable Power Reaches Financial Close on 50 MW solar PV plant","author":"","date":"October 3, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Mainstream Renewable Power, the pureplay global wind and solar company, has reached financial close on its 50 MW Ilikwa solar PV plant. The power from the plant will supply multiple private\u00a0commercial and industrial\u00a0customers under flexible, shorter-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) in a new-to-market product called Renewable Energy Supply Agreements (RESAs).\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Countries&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Countries","link":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/category\/countries\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Mainstream-Renewable-Power-in-South-Africa.webp?fit=640%2C427&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Mainstream-Renewable-Power-in-South-Africa.webp?fit=640%2C427&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Mainstream-Renewable-Power-in-South-Africa.webp?fit=640%2C427&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5191","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5191"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5191\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5193,"href":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5191\/revisions\/5193"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5192"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5191"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5191"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5191"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}