As oil markets fluctuate wildly, how can the world economy still be running on a commodity that not only wreaks havoc on the planet when extracted and burned, but is unpredictable and volatile? On 20 April, the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil futures contract for May 2020 delivery defied logic and settled for the first […]
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SENEGAL: Fonroche completes 50% installation of 50,000 solar street lights
The project to install 50,000 solar street lamps in Senegalese cities is already halfway completed by the French company Fonroche Eclairage. The project is being slowed down by the covid-19 pandemic, which is also affecting Senegal. The restrictive measures put in place by the Senegalese government to limit the spread of Covid-19 are impacting […]
Why Africa needs justice in energy investment plans
In the just concluded Africa Energy Leader Summit on Climate Change, Energy and Energy Finance in Ethiopia, there were rigorous discussions from delegates on why Africa needs to put emphasis on a just energy transition. In the just concluded Africa Energy Leader Summit on Climate Change, Energy and Energy Finance in Ethiopia, there were […]
Fossil fuel funding by world’s biggest banks has grown every year since the Paris Agreement, report finds
It’s as if the penny hasn’t dropped for the financial services industry that climate change is not only an increasingly disruptive environmental phenomenon, but a grave risk to the stability of the global economy. Financial support for the fossil fuel industry has increased every year since the Paris Agreement came into being in 2015, according […]
Off-Grid Energy key to Power Growth in Emerging Markets: WoodMac
A new analysis from Wood Mackenzie has predicted that the next decade presents a huge opportunity for the off-grid energy access sector. An estimated 420 million people now use standalone off-grid solar and another 47 million people rely on mini-grids for access to electricity. While investments in energy access have rapidly accelerated since 2016, total volumes still […]
The Big 5 – Africa’s fastest growing solar energy markets
Africa has shown great progress in the development of its solar energy markets over the last year. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), last year’s growth was primarily driven by five specific countries: Egypt, South Africa, Kenya, Namibia and Ghana. Together they contributed 1,067MW of newly-installed PV capacity in 2018 Egypt – one of […]
A solar-powered irrigation pump with pay-as-you-go option
An Israeli-Palestinian non-profit which provides renewable energy and clean water services to off-grid communities has developed a submersible solar magnetic irrigation plunger pump. The Solar Magnetic Plunger Pump (SMPP) is said to be able to deliver 20-30 m3 per day from a pump head 15-45m deep – enough, according to Comet-ME, for small plot irrigation or […]