For so long, I have been wondering why the technology for harnessing the solar and wind power had been kept at high price considering the potential of Africa to leverage the same would otherwise have been. Thanks to the environmental concerns, volatile oil price and competition, the ever existing high cost of technologies of the above particularly and other sources of renewable energy in general seem to decline in the near future.
Latest studies by EY suggested that Distributed Energy Resources/DER/will compete with the traditional/conventional grid systems in the US in six or seven years time, taking the subject even further. So, as always have been, the American approach will likely be adopted so soon by the others including Africa.
This will potentially be a blessing for Africa which has a high potential for solar energy supported by its geographic nature. Significant part of the continent’s rural population which has been difficult to connect to the central grid systems will also have a chance to be addressed in this new approach, DER. According to the suggestion of the same study, there will also be two way flow of power between the utilities’ grid systems and the DER consumers which will definitely make a lot of and challenging changes in the overall energy portfolio.
For more information.
http://www.ey.com/US/en/Services/Advisory/EY-Distributed-energy-the-challenge-for-utilitiesFor more information.
I think African leaders will have the chance to discuss about Power Africa initiative which has been promised by president Barack Obama for Africa.
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