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Lessons from Scaling Solar in Africa
If you’re inclined to believe that solving things like poverty (in this case energy poverty) just takes a bunch of money and willpower, then I strongly recommend this article. It’s a real-world example of why scaling solutions is hard: complex problems, competing interests, hidden subsidies, and so on.
I do think we’re headed to a future where solar infrastructure becomes the default power solution in much of the world, but this article illustrates what it will take to get there.
The solution seems so obvious. A region synonymous with abundant sun is hungry for more electricity. Given Africa’s colossal untapped solar radiation, the continent should be installing solar panels at a furious pace. But it’s not. Though home to 60% of the world’s best solar resources, Africa today represents just 1% of installed solar photovoltaic capacity.
