-
Report: Global Renewables Expansion in 2020 Will Be ‘Wiped out’ by COVID-19
A Norwegian analyst group calculates growth in newly commissioned renewables projects will now be “wiped out” for 2020 and cut by a further 10% next year, reversing its pre-Covid-19 expectation of some 140GW of PV and 75GW of wind capacity being added this year.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Energy
-
New Data and Technologies are Transforming Energy Access – Public Policy Must Catch Up
Technologies like geospatial imagery, machine learning and affordable batteries are generating ever more innovative ways to target customers with off-grid energy solutions. But according to analysts at the Duke University Energy Access Project, public policy is struggling to keep up with these rapid-fire developments, leaving vast amounts of human capacity and productivity untapped. They explore how to address this disconnect between government and the private sector.
- Categories
- Energy
-
Off-Grid Energy Investment at $2.1 Billion in the Last Decade: Wood Mackenzie
Wood Mackenzie estimates 420 million people now use standalone off-grid solar and another 47 million people rely on mini-grids for access to electricity. While investments in energy access have rapidly accelerated since 2016, total volumes still fall short of the total estimated financing needed to reach universal electricity access globally by 2030.
- Categories
- Energy
- Region
- South Asia
-
Unlocking Off-Grid Energy Finance: What Options Are Available for the Last Mile?
Extending the power grid to underserved communities is often prohibitively expensive. That's why decentralized renewable energy (DRE) is increasingly recognized as an essential approach. However, investments remain focused on grid-connected electricity, with only 1.2% directed towards DRE solutions in 2017. Surabhi Rajagopal and Eco Matser at Hivos explore challenges and solutions in financing energy access through DRE.
-
The Clock is Ticking on Energy Access: Exploring Factor[e] Ventures’ Big Bet on Mini-Grids
Since 2010, the number of people without energy access has decreased from almost 1.2 billion to 840 million. But while that's encouraging, the world is not on track to meet SDG7’s goal of universal electrification. What's more, as Amanda DelCore at Factor[e] Ventures points out, more connections may not always equal more access. In light of these realities, she explores why Factor[e] has built its energy access thesis around mini-grids.
-
Umeme Kicks Off a Global Partnership Pilot to Identify New Approaches to Clean Energy Access in Uganda
Umeme Limited, Makerere University, The Rockefeller Foundation, and Power for All – a global charity dedicated to accelerating the end of energy poverty – and a coalition of energy companies launched an integrated energy pilot to test new ways of accelerating energy access, stimulating customer demand and improving grid performance in Uganda that will primarily benefit poor and rural areas.
- Categories
- Energy
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
Africa Grapples with Clean Energy Conundrum
Africa is both the world's least electrified continent and the most vulnerable to climate change - the conundrum is how to meet the demand for energy without making the climate situation worse.
- Categories
- Energy, Environment
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
Press Release: Off-Grid Solar Energy Sector Ready to Step Up Efforts Towards Sustainable Energy
More than 1,250 participants from 75 countries attending this year’s Global Off-Grid Solar Forum and Expo (GOGSFE) in Nairobi called for more collaboration and investments to provide sustainable energy for the 840 million people currently living without electricity and an estimated 1 billion people who live with weak grid connections.
- Source
- Press Release
- Categories
- Energy