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Creating a Less Taxing Climate for Off-Grid Solar Energy
As countries are seeing the huge power and potential of decentralized renewables – such as off-grid solar – to combat energy poverty, taxes and tariffs on quality distributed energy products are no longer certain at all, and the trend looks set to continue.
- Categories
- Energy, Environment, Technology
- Tags
- off-grid energy, solar
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Report: Off-Grid Electricity, Mobile Money Could Help Plug Africa’s Rural Power Crunch
A combination of renewable energy sources off the national grids could be a solution to supplying electricity to rural areas across Africa, a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) showed on Monday.
- Categories
- Energy, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Sierra Leone Solar Push Aims to Bring Electricity to All by 2025
Sierra Leone aims to provide electricity to all of its 6 million citizens by 2025 in a push to boost the economy, expand crucial services such as healthcare, and reduce dependency on aid, officials said on Wednesday.
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- Energy
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Trending: Blending, The Fad for Mixing Public, Charitable and Private Money
MEETING the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals will require additional investments of $2.5 trillion a year in things like health care and education for the world’s poorest people, according to UNCTAD, a UN agency. A further $13.5 trillion is needed by 2030 to implement the Paris climate accord, according to the International Energy Agency, a watchdog group. It is enough to drive development types to drink—which may be how they came up with the term “blended finance”, a heady cocktail of public, private and charitable money.
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
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Viewpoint: Much Hangs on Mobile Money in East Africa
From his shack in Kangemi, a slum at the western edge of Nairobi, Gilbert Onduko sells bare essentials to his neighbours. A blackboard above the hatch lists prices for ugali(maize cooked into a sort of porridge), farina (similar to semolina) and cooking oil. On the roof of the shack is a small solar panel, about the size of a tea tray, which powers two lights inside and a mobile phone. Since he got it, about a month before your correspondent visited, Mr Onduko has been able to keep his shop open until midnight rather than just in the daytime. He has also cut down his kerosene bill by 100 shillings (about $1) a day—a hefty saving in a Nairobi slum. “And now my phone is always charged,” he grins.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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India Expects First Loan From China’s Infrastructure Bank
The bank is China’s latest thrust into international diplomacy.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- renewable energy, solar
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India’s big move into solar is already paying off
The price of solar power has plummeted in recent months to levels rivaling that of coal, positioning the renewable source as a viable mainstream option in a country where 300 million people live without electricity. Solar prices are now within 15% of coal, according to KPMG. If current trends hold, the consultancy predicts electricity from solar will actually be 10% cheaper than domestic coal by 2020.
- Categories
- Energy
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- solar
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The Developing World Faces a Silent Killer. Could a $1 Solar Light Help?
Every day at around 6pm, 40 families living in a remote corner of Andhra Pradesh in southeast India – a 6km walk from the nearest road – would be swallowed by darkness. With no access to electricity, sunset was a non-negotiable curfew – going outside was dangerous, people couldn’t cook and children were unable to do their homework.
- Categories
- Energy
- Region
- South Asia