South Australia’s record breaking streak for wind and solar generation over the past few months has shone the light over how a modern grid can run with little or no thermal or synchronous generation. More importantly, it has also confirmed how the term “baseload” has become a redundant concept in a modern grid […]
General
Fossil fuels demonstrating their unreliability
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 […]
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 […]
Off-Grid, Mini-Grid Technologies Critical for Africa
Investing in new off-grid and mini-grid technologies to extend energy access across Africa will be instrumental in helping smallholder farmers to meet rising food demand. Achieving universal energy access with the help of mini and nano solutions is vital to meet rising food demand and transform rural lives in Africa, according to a panel of […]