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Farming Under Solar: How Agriphotovoltaics Can Transform Rural Livelihoods in India
As India scales up solar energy, a critical question has emerged: Can this transition deliver clean power without displacing farmers from their land? According to Laxmi Sharma, Bidisha Banerjee, Subhodeep Basu and Ashok Gulati at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations, the country's renewable energy expansion has been led by large, ground-mounted solar projects, often located on agricultural land. But while this model has been effective in scaling solar capacity, it has also created a disconnect between the energy and agriculture sectors, while limiting participation among farmers. They explore how agriphotovoltaics (Agri-PV) can address these issues by enabling the cultivation of crops beneath or between panel arrays, and discuss the pros and cons of different Agri-PV operating models.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Energy
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ECOIL Bags $2.5 Million to Turn Waste Cooking Oil Into Biofuel
The Jaipur-based startup intends to use the fresh capital to scale its operations, improve tech and expand its presence across key markets in India.
- Categories
- Energy, Technology
- Region
- Asia Pacific
- Tags
- innovation, renewable energy, scale, startups, waste
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Three Questions for Five African Businesses: Insights from Sankalp Africa Summit’s ‘Enterprise Showcase’
The recent Sankalp Africa Summit featured an “Enterprise Showcase” where up-and-coming African businesses shared information about their work and missions. NextBillion interviewed five of these entrepreneurs and company representatives, asking each of them three questions: What are the main challenges you’re facing in running your business? What kind of support would help you overcome these challenges? And what’s one thing you wish funders understood about your business needs? Their responses reveal some of the innovative approaches and key issues that are emerging in Africa’s vibrant ecosystem of small and medium-sized enterprises.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Energy, Environment, Social Enterprise, Transportation, WASH
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China Set to Cut Solar Incentives for Africa Days After Elon Musk Negotiates $2.9 Billion Chinese Solar Equipment Deal for Tesla
Africa’s solar expansion could face new cost pressures as China moves to scale back key export incentives, just as global demand surges following Elon Musk’s $2.9 billion push into Chinese solar supply chains.
- Categories
- Energy, Environment
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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ReNew Secures $95 Million Equity Investment From LeapFrog-Led Consortium to Expand its Commercial & Industrial Platform
The investment reflects LeapFrog's climate investment thesis: backing scalable climate solutions in emerging markets that accelerate decarbonization while driving inclusive economic growth.
- Categories
- Environment, Investing
- Region
- Global
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Press Release: IFC Backs Paraguay’s First Green Fertilizer Plant, Creating Jobs, Advancing Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security
The project is expected to positively impact employment opportunities, with over 1,265 new direct jobs created during the construction phase, and nearly 200 skilled and semi skilled positions during operations.
- Categories
- Agriculture
- Region
- Latin America
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Research: A Plan to Maneuver Female Leadership in Ghana’s Renewable Energy Sector
The country is experience a profound paper-to-practice divide with agencies operating in silos and treating gender as a tangential social issue rather than core economic requirement.
- Categories
- Energy
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Press Release: Rockefeller Foundation Commits an Additional US $10 Million to Accelerate Electricity Connections Across Africa by 2030
The Rockefeller Foundation is collaborating with the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet to fast-track electrification efforts in at least 15 African countries.
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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