ACCESS to reliable and affordable energy services is crucial to poverty reduction, the improvement of human health, women’s empowerment, education and key for economic development.
With most African countries grappling with energy poverty, Decentralised Renewable Energy (DRE) could be key to sustainable power supply, hence the need for massive investments in DRE or off-grid renewable solutions to achieve universal access.
An interview with Dr Huashau Wang, board member and co-founder of Omnivoltaic Power, revealed that while there is a lot of demand for energy, there is need for commitment to achieve universal access to clean energy.
Omnivoltaic is a specialist product provider for off-grid products used by customers worldwide, especially for people who live in under- or un-electrified regions.
“At the moment, there is need and demand and we can distribute and manufacture the good technology but it is not happening as fast as possible anywhere in the world.
“It takes more than just a good business model to cater for the demand and supply, there is need for good financial support as well. We can change the way people have access to energy but it will take more for each household to be able to generate its own power to change the energy supply field,” Dr Wang said.
“Consumers need to be educated and understand that the cost of ownership drives the real cost and this means the longevity of products.
Government also needs to have proper regulations to guard against cheap products being dumped on the market and environmental damage due to such waste.
“Omnivoltaic is manufacturing rechargeable lithium batteries that will help reduce waste while giving 1000 more cycles to the normal batteries so people don’t just throw them away.
“The idea is about energy saving systems which are smaller, more efficient and are of good quality.”
Many consumers have been ripped off by shop owners who sell short-life-span solar products which have been imported from abroad.
“These products not only have no guarantees but there is little knowledge of how best to use and store these products to ensure their longevity. These products have become obsolete in the shortest possible time, hence the lack of faith in many consumers,” said Dr Wang.
With a draft Renewable Energy Policy being crafted, concerns are that this policy, once in place, should be able to look into all areas that affect renewable energy.
Energy players and stakeholders say they will be able to aid financiers with a framework for providing finances, while guiding investors in areas in which to invest in.
This, they claim, would also help reduce deforestation as people find ways of gaining access to energy for cooking and lighting.
The UN goal on energy access Sustainable Energy for All SEA4ALL 2030 target and Sustainable Development Goal number seven (SDG7) focuses on access to clean and affordable energy.
It ensures access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all and has various global targets, among them ensuring that each and every person in the world can access reliable, affordable, and modern energy services.
Since this goal seems so far-fetched, the Power for All which is a global call to action comes at a time when population growth and energy demand are growing fast and the grid is failing to keep pace.
ZERO Regional Organisation’s project officer Wellington Madumira said Productive use of energy (PUE) is a significant economic driver.
“Productive uses of energy are those uses of energy that increase income or productivity. Productive use of energy is a significant driver of economic growth and social progress in developing countries.
“Productive use promotion should start even before customers are connected and include consumer education on energy efficiency. Energy efficiency standards and labels are vital to guiding consumers in the selection of efficient appliances.
“This will reduce opportunity costs, and drudgery, while releasing time to enable new earning activities,” Madumira said.
“Typical productive uses can be found in agro-processing (drying of agricultural products like coffee, tea, tobacco or fruits), various industrial industries such as brick-making, bread-baking, and in the service sector, in bars and restaurants that use stoves for cooking meals.
“National agencies overseeing product standards (for example, Standards Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ)) can be key partners in improving transparency on the quality and energy efficiency of equipment for micro small and medium-size enterprises (MSMEs).”
The Global Off-Grid Lighting Association GOGLA-IFC report shows 3.77 million off-grid solar products were sold in the second half of 2016, despite difficult conditions in key markets
“The importance of having accurate, timely data on the off-grid solar market cannot be emphasized enough,” stated Koen Peters, executive director of GOGLA.
“The figures shown in this report, provided by the 55 companies who participated, highlight to us that there are many external developments that have strong impacts – both positive and negative — on business results.
“With an increasingly nuanced and complete understanding of the market, each round enables us to better tailor our calls to action to governments, investors and donors looking to support off-grid energy access, as well as to provide off-grid solar enterprises with further improved market insights to shape their global strategies.”