WC Archive

It's not hard to find stories about African governments, businesses and non-profits expressing an interest in bringing more solar power to the continent. The logic makes sense. Photovoltaics are perhaps the ultimate in leapfrog energy systems. Solar can be used anywhere the sun shines, without the ongoing expense of trucking in and consuming fuel. While the maintenance of the systems isn't difficult, it provides opportunities for local business development (especially for women, "barefoot engineer" style). Moreover, solar panels work both as stand-alone sources of electricity for particular needs or as part of a village (or even regional) power network.

The stand-alone model has characterized the majority of the solar power deployment in Africa, from Digital Links providing 800 combination laptops and solar PV chargers to schools in Rwanda, to the Lagos government planning solar-powered water treatment plants for remote regions. The Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF) project in Benin is another example, with the ongoing introduction of solar-powered pumps for agricultural villages.

Broader rural electrification projects based on solar do exist. Some, like the work in Uganda by the religious group Solar Light for Africa, rely on the contributions and volunteer efforts of non-profits. But increasingly, African governments, sometimes with international aid support, are providing incentives to foreign corporations to bring in solar investment. Late last year, for example, South Africa signed a deal with the Dutch energy company Nuon to bring in 8,000 solar energy systems to KwaZulu Natal over the next two years, replacing the oil lamps now in use there; just this week, BP Solar signed a deal with the Zambian government to bring in 250 kilowatts worth of photovoltaics for "lighting, radio, television and refridgeration."

Expect such deals to happen with greater frequency. The Kyoto Treaty lets signatory states get credit for emissions reduction regardless of where the reduction actually takes place:

Kyoto’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) enabled companies and governments to purchase emission reduction credits from energy-saving projects in developing countries, and either offset them against their compliance targets, or trade them on the open market.

For example, converting a power station in Zambia from coal to gas represents a considerable reduction in its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. If that saving can be measured, and verified, it can be converted into carbon credits, and these credits can be sold on.

As the Kyoto Treaty comes into force, companies and countries are scrambling to build emissions-reducing projects in the developing world in order to meet their obligations. South Africa is taking advantage of the opportunity to replace its aging coal-fired power plants with newer technologies, and other African nations are beginning to pick up on the opportunity. This isn't just about charity -- the South African projects alone should generate nearly R620 million (a bit more than $100 million) in revenue through 2012.

As much as I support the idea of greater use of photovoltaics in the West, the leapfrog potential for greater use of solar in the developing world -- and Africa in particular -- is much more exciting. They can provide the underlying power for literacy programs, information access, and the basic work of making a living, and do so sustainably. Developments making photovoltaics cheaper, or more rugged, or more flexible in use will certainly be welcome by those bringing the sun's power to remote parts of the world; we may find, however, that the fastest engines for solar's spread are countries trying to live up to the demands of an international treaty.