With solar power capacity growing from a meagre 331 MW in 2011 to 10,581 MW by the end of 2020, Africa has the potential to be one of the most significant markets in terms of solar power deployment. Solar projects of all sizes and categories are gaining traction across the continent with increasing energy demand, a focus on improving energy access, the energy transition goals of nations, and the reducing costs of solar equipment. Various countries have introduced renewable energy and solar power targets along with policy mechanisms such as feed-in tariffs, net metering and competitive bidding for attracting investments.
Consequently, the African solar market is witnessing the entry of large development finance institutions, financial donors, and climate funds in recent years. While the majority of the upcoming solar capacity is in the form of large utility-scale projects, C&I solar and solar minigrids are also gaining traction owing to their attractive cost economics. Like most solar power markets, Africa too has its own set of challenges including inadequate grid capacity, lack of creditworthy power offtakers, time-consuming permits and approvals, and difficulty in accessing low-cost funds. However, these issues are expected to be addressed over time, leading to massive investments in the deployment of solar power projects across Africa in this decade
Featuring two days of high-level presentations, and discussions, this year’s Solar & Energy Storage event will bring together leading solar businesses, utilities, non-profits, and policymakers for an exclusive three-day event—the first event focused on Africa’s solar potential. The event will reflect the growing number of storage-plus-solar projects in a holistic way and will feature a day on solar, a day on solar-plus-storage, and a day on storage.
