Africa Solar Industry Association (AFSIA), in its latest report indicated that Angola topped the chart of country with the most solar usage in Africa.
The report which stated that, “Africa is now home to more than 10 GW of identified solar projects”, indicated that Nigeria is among countries with least solar power installations as it is was missing among the top solar power users on the continent.
According to the report, Angola topped the chart With 284 MW of solar installations in 2022, followed by South Africa, 111.8 MW, Egypt, 80 MW, Ghana, 71.3 MW, and Mozambique 41.9 MW.
While solar installation capacity in Africa has historically been driven by a limited number of “hot spots” such as South Africa, Morocco, and Egypt, more countries are now adopting solar initiatives.
Thirty countries across the continent have installed more than 1 MW, 16 countries installed more than 10 MW, and two countries have installed more than 100 MW.
The report added that solar power installation growth in Africa also leaped by 60 per cent. The 2022 report indicated that more African countries are adopting solar energy, primarily in the commercial and industrial segments, growing industrial solar power installations in the continent above the 10 GW mark.
The report explained that Africa is unlocking its vast solar energy potential to provide affordable and sustainable electricity not only to rural communities but also to commercial and industrial segments.
According to AFSIA, Africa Solar Outlook 2023 report, the commercial and industrial segment registered a year-on-year growth of 61.5 per cent in the previous year.
Overall, 949 MW of additional solar energy was installed across the continent in 2022, a 14 per cent year-on-year increment from the 833 MW added to the grid in 2021.
With commercial and industrial solar installations already commanding a significant 30 per cent of all solar installations in the continent, according to AFSIA, on-going projects also favour the segment.
Increasing solar energy capacity in commercial and industrial processes is vital in aiding clean transition while ensuring energy sustainability.
This is particularly critical for countries such as South Africa where energy gaps from controlled power blackouts, known as load shedding, have taken a toll on commercial and industrial functions.
The AFSIA report shows that 22.2 per cent of all solar installations in South Africa are centred on the commercial and industrial segment.
Worth noting is that non-government led PV energy projects have also surged in the country. There is an approximate 9 GW worth of solar energy under development, funded by non-government entities.
According to South Africa’s National Energy Crisis Committee (NECOM), more than 100 sites are being developed with capacities of up to 100 MW.
These are in addition to the government-sponsored solar PV plants under the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme, REIPPPP.
While the first of the unsubsidised plants is expected to be up and running by the end of 2023, solar is also poised to provide a much-needed energy source for the country’s national utility, Eskom, with some 3,000 MW in the pipeline.
Farther north, Algeria is also keen to detach from fossil fuel-based energy options in commercial and industrial functions by leveraging on its solar energy potential. With 99.8 per cent of Algerians having access to electricity, mini-grids are not an immediate priority in the country.