Household solar power brightens prospects in Africa
Phillis Martha, a smallholder farmer in Kenya’s Kitui county, is grateful for the solar lighting systems that have lit up the once-darkened villages in her patch of the country’s rural east.
The 58-year-old mother of five said that the solar home system, in addition to doing away with the cost of buying kerosene, has transformed her life as she can now extend her workday into the evening hours.
With the new power supply in her village of Kithimani, she now has a television that lets her keep in touch with happenings across the globe. And her grandson can do his homework comfortably.
“Lighting solar systems have enabled us to avoid fire hazards and health problems associated with inhaling kerosene fumes,” Martha said.
“Some years back, reports of kerosene-related burns on children and fire outbreaks in houses were the norm in our villages. Today, such cases are unheard of, thanks to solar lighting solutions.”
Eunice Mueni, of Yutamboo village in Machakos county, appreciates the pay-as-you-go pricing that has enabled her and many others in rural areas to own solar lighting systems.
Thanks to M-Kopa Solar, a company based in the Kenyan capital Nairobi that bills this way, Mueni owns a solar system that meets her energy needs. She paid a $60 deposit, with daily installments of $1 for 18 months.
“I no longer fear going outside at night. I just switch security lights on and walk confidently, without fear of stepping on a snake. I’m grateful to M-Kopa solar for lighting my house and compound,” Mueni said.
Since its launch in October 2012, M-Kopa Solar has connected more than 200,000 homes in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda to solar power.
The experiences of Martha and Mueni highlight how off-grid energy can help people in energystarved sub-Saharan Africa.
According to a report by the European Investment Bank and the International Solar Alliance, 120 million households in sub-Saharan Africa lack access to adequate electricity. A third of these households are in Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ethiopia.
Clean, affordable energy
Based on electrification rates and population growth, the report estimates that 60 million households in the region will still have no electricity by 2030.
However, the report said increased use of off-grid solar technology can provide clean and affordable energy access for those now without electricity services.
The report, called “Commercial and economic feasibility study for enhancing off-grid solar inclusion in sub-Saharan Africa”, said the solar home system is the most cost-effective power solution for households in areas without services.
The study said “the solar home system private-sector ecosystem is mature and robust” in many sub-Saharan Africa countries. It’s also wellsuited for a market-driven, blended finance approach as opposed to a more conventional grant funding approach.
The report said well-designed blended finance opportunities offer the ultimate win-win outcome. They reduce average costs of capital for providers and enable lower prices for consumers, without distorting markets.
“These vehicles and structure, in particular results-based financing, have seen success in expanding energy access, including to solar home systems, in countries like Kenya, Tanzania, and Nigeria,” the report said.