Small-scale solar power is progressing in Africa. Areas such as northern Rwanda already utilize solar power. “People are able to light rooms, charge smartphones and listen to radio. In a few years, they will probably also be watching television, powering their irrigation pumps and cooling their homes with fans.” (GAKENKE)
Solar was once only available to wealthy Africans. Today, it is available for only a few dollars a week. This familiarity with solar power has created an opportunity for businesses and communities in Africa to utilize most robust solar power solutions.
While solar-power is being provided to over 600,000 households in Africa, current solutions cannot handle washer, dryers or dishwashers (GAKENKE). Those in poverty cannot afford greater solutions, but large businesses and non-profits working in these regions have the opportunity to bring greater solar-power solutions to developing regions.
The Aldelano Solar PowerPak can provide solar power to everything from one small home to a group of seven homes or one large business such as a hotel. This type of solar-power solution has the opportunity to increase business from foreign travelers seeking amenities they are used to in more developed areas.
It also has the opportunity to provide consistent and robust power for schools or medical facilities. The Aldelano Solar PowerPak is completely customizable. Different parts of the globe have different styles of outlets and adapters as well as different types of appliances. The Solar PowerPak can be customized to ANYTHING! If the three traditional sizes do not meet your needs, Aldelano Solar Cold Chain Solutions can create a completely custom Solar PowerPak.
Africa is a sunshine rich region, creating vast potential for low maintenance, high powered solar-power expansion. The fast-paced growth of solar expansion in Africa “suggests that, if sustained, off-grid connections will within a few years outstrip the rate at which people are being connected to the grid” (GAKENKE).
Not only is solar-power expanding in Africa, over the long-run it is projected to provide better savings and is more realistic than creating a traditional power grid.
“The Africa Progress Panel, a group of experts led by Kofi Annan, a former UN secretary-general reckons that more than 600m people are not connected to grids and that to wire them up, investment in electricity infrastructure would have to rise to about $55bn a year from the current $8bn.” (GAKENKE)
Some governments in Africa see off-grid power as competing entity for state-owned electricity monopolies. However, non-profits and large businesses have the opportunity for long-term savings by investing in solar solutions that last.
Sources:
GAKENKE. “Africa Unplugged.” The Economist. The Economist Newspaper, 29 Oct. 2016. Web. 28 June 2017.
