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Potential of Floating Solar PV in Africa Vastly Underrated
Many African countries are heavily dependent on hydropower to provide baseline power, which is being affected by increasingly frequent droughts. At the same time, Africa is characterised by a very high solar potential.
- Categories
- Energy, Impact Assessment
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- renewable energy
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General Motors Commits to Being Carbon Neutral by 2040
General Motors is the latest automaker to publicly commit to setting science based targets with the aim of becoming completely carbon neutral by 2040. GM GM +4.3% joins Volkswagen, Ford and others in pledging a move to carbon neutrality although the other automakers have announced a 2050 timeline.
- Categories
- Energy
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Report: Transition to Electric Motorbikes Could Save Rwanda Rwf9 Billion Annually
The Government of Rwanda is engaging partners and private sector to promote e-mobility that could see phased adoption of electric buses, private cars and motorcycles with a goal to reduce conventional vehicle sales, transport fuel imports which are associated with gas emissions.
- Categories
- Energy
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Press Release: USD 127 Million Social Impact Securitization Vehicle for off-Grid Solar Sector in Kenya
BLK1 has increased the size of its local currency receivable financing facility for d.light’s Kenyan business to USD 127 million with an additional USD 15 million of senior debt from Norfund.
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Minigrids and Cold Storage Are a Match Made in Sustainable Development Heaven – So What’s Keeping Them Apart?
The minigrid sector faces a dilemma: Most rural customers need electricity in the evenings, yet most minigrids generate their power during the day. This requires them to store unused power in expensive batteries, complement their solar power with diesel generators, or reduce production. As Seth Silverman and Tom Chaplin at Factor[e] Ventures explain, cold storage providers could offer minigrids reliable demand for their surplus power – yet these partnerships aren't happening. They explore the obstacles, and some potential solutions.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Energy
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Press Release: New Report Shows Promising Improvements in off-Grid Appliance Energy Efficiency
The 2021 Appliance Data Trends report finds near-to-market products are significantly more energy efficient and affordable than they were five years ago. Televisions are 48% more efficient and 44% cheaper than 2016 models, despite increases in screen size. Similarly, fans are 49% more efficient than models assessed two years ago, with some models 2-3 times more efficient than conventional models sold in Europe.
- Categories
- Energy, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Miga Issues $26 Million in Guarantees to Escotel Mauritius’ Solar Investment
The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) has issued guarantees of up to $25.6 million to Escotel Mauritius covering its investments in solar power generation in Liberia and Sierra Leone for a period of up to ten years.
- Categories
- Energy, Telecommunications
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Innovex Closes an Equity Investment With GAIA Impact Fund, a VC Fund Dedicated to Renewable Energy Entrepreneurs
Innovex, a Uganda-based startup enabling pay-as-you-go and remote monitoring for solar companies, closed a Series Seed Round with an equity investment from Gaia Impact Fund.
- Categories
- Energy
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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