Posts Tagged by Africa
From Guest Blogger Joshua Okomo: Intergovernmental Governance Fundamental for Green Energy in Africa
| December 14, 2011 | Posted by okomo under Renewables - Politics |
Fast trucking the development of clean energy in Africa has been a major challenge for which African states have to render political and governance support, one of the fundamental strategy is intergovernmental organizations and programmes of Africa’s group of nations. There are intergovernmental institutions and programmes for clean energy governance in Africa. The African Union (AU) is the principal organization of African states. It includes 53 African member States. Read More
From Guest Blogger Carolina: Changing Lives Via Clean Energy
| December 8, 2011 | Posted by Carolina under Photo-voltaics |
As solar companies strive to provide consumers with the sun’s renewable energy, they too are doing their part to help those in need. Many U.S. solar companies have reached out to the third world in effort to provide them with solar equipment that will help improve lives on the daily, from lighting schools, to power communication equipment. Countless rural towns throughout Africa do not have direct access to a power grid because of the sheer cost to transport the electricity over far distances. However, solar companies are changing this. Read More
From Guest Blogger Joshua Okomo: Top Challenges to Develop Green Energy in Africa
| December 1, 2011 | Posted by okomo under Renewables - Politics |
Africa faces the greater challenge of energy access, energy availability and energy affordability than all the rest of the world. Assessment undertaken in 2008, Africa was the lowest per capita energy consumer averaging 0.66 tons of oil equivalents (TOE) compared to the global average of 1.8 TOE. The greater challenge to energy development especially renewable energy is weak or lack of policy and effective renewable energy development institutions, low technology acquisition, low investment and inadequate financing. Government policy and unfavorable political good will rank higher as factors.
Successful development of renewable energy requires strong political will, government regulatory and fiscal muscle, incentives for private sector, innovative financing, considering the opportunity in clean development mechanism and technical capacity building. Policy makers in African governments have not given adequate attention to the potential of meeting renewable energy challenges of Africa. The continent is endowed with vast renewable energy resources, the continent has 1,750 TWh potential for hydropower and 14,000 MW potential geothermal, and potential for solar throughout the year. Wind power potential is also abundant.
Biomass-to-Energy: Renewable Energy in Tanzania
| July 20, 2010 | Posted by Craig Shields under Biomass |
Ever hear of a “Croton?” You know, the oil-bearing tree, indigenous to Tanzania? How familiar are you with babassu?
Don’t be ashamed if you’ve never heard of either. Besides the two people who brought me business plans that promote biomass-to-energy projects using the fruits of these two exotic trees, I’ve yet to run into a single person who’s ever heard of either one.
The former bears nuts about the size of walnuts; the latter, found primarily in another but equally wild part of the world (northeastern Brazil), provides something akin to a small coconut. Harvesting neither affects the world food supply, and both have characteristics that make them very attractive for biomass feedstock. Suffice it to say that 2GreenEnergy is a great place to work if you want to learn about life forms that you would have been extremely unlikely to come across in any other way.
More to the point, the people forwarding these two business plans are both fantastic human beings — engaged on incredible missions. Want a great experience? Talk to Joe Scali of African Biofuels and ask him about his plans for the Croton — actually Croton megalocarpus (locally called muhihi). This tree grows robustly in semi-arid climates on marginal lands, produces 25-50 kg seeds annually with 32% oil content. In a few minutes, you’ll get a background on a magnificent project — one that actually will, I’m completely convinced, provide a positive (if perhaps a bit longer-term than some) return on investors’ money. And you’ll be more than a little bit tuned into the what’s happening in Tanzania with respect to renewable energy.
The people of Third World countries contribute far less per capita to the production of greenhouse gases and other pollutants than those in developed nations. But they contribute far more per Watt-hour of energy consumed, since their access to energy tends to be rather low-tech, e.g., cooking over open wood fires.
So, for anyone wishing to make a difference, let me ask you, does it make more sense to improve the MPG rating of the cars we Americans drive a few percent, or eliminate 90+% of noxious emissions that come from the way of life of an equal number of Africans? If you’re interested, go to the African Biofuels website, and talk to Joe. Tell him Craig sent you.
