Why solar option is ideal to solve West Africa’s electricity needs

A low level of electrification is one of the biggest challenges that have characterised the West Africa region for decades.

According to a recent report by the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) the region’s average rate of household access to electricity is put at just over 32 percent and as low as 8 percent in Liberia and 9 percent in Niger.

A combination of rural remoteness and inadequate grid infrastructure means electrification is a difficult and potentially costly process in West African countries.

It is against this huge challenge and the unreliability of the national grid to meet the demand for electricity which is on the increase that those who know in the energy space are calling on the region to look to solar as an alternative.

According to reports, West Africa has in abundance solar energy potential, averaging 4-6.5kW/m2, making this form of generation an obvious candidate for meeting the region’s growing appetite for affordable power.

Industry close watchers insist the region is primed for growth and as economies strengthen, demand for energy will increase. Solar offers an ideal solution for both on and off-grid applications.

To them with storage and micro-grids, countries across West Africa have the chance to leapfrog traditional technology such as a centralised, national grid, and roll out clean, sustainable energy that meets the needs of modern communities.

“West Africa with a pipeline of more than 5,000MW is an exciting solar market and offers a lifetime opportunity to provide jobs, training and electricity across the region”, they said.

Mahama Kappiah, executive director of the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) was quoted to have said there are opportunities to adopt small-scale, large-scale, grid and off-grid solar power systems considering the region’s solar resources. In addition, electricity demand is on the increase as income and socio-economic conditions improve across the region. Solar energy can diversify the current energy mix and help to meet this demand.”

The potential for solar energy in West Africa is significant as a cursory look at the various countries in the region show they have the potential for solar development for example the northern region in Nigeria.

While the potential to develop solar is there, analysts are concern that the current lack of uniformity in terms of concrete and operational incentives specifically to encourage solar technology adoption in the region to pose a bit of challenge.

Analysts observe that beyond the lack of incentives, the development of solar in West Africa faces a host of other technical, non-technical and financial barriers. These include a lack of skilled manpower for the design, installation and maintenance of solar projects, a lack of quality control and warranties and little local capacity for maintenance and after-sales service.

At present, solar PV remains the most expensive renewable energy technology per kilowatt and so the need for incentives cannot be over-emphasised

In the views of industry close watchers, the private sector hesitates to take the risks and banks are also reluctant due to the small size of the investments. Financial challenges include the lack of new and real financing mechanisms in the region.

To them, “investors want transparency, longevity, certainty and consistency. The key challenges are that institutional, regulatory, legal and tariff structures and frameworks are largely non-existent or weakly implemented.

Once this is hurdles are overcome, solar energy which is on an onward march around the globe, while definitely touch base in West Africa.

KELECHI EWUZIE