Norwegian solar company REC has announced it will focus on entering the East and South African regions, which are expected to see 100 GW of solar PV installed over the next 15 years.
A spokesperson for the company said that as an initial step, REC will open three offices, most likely in Ghana, Kenya and South Africa this year and next. In Ghana, for instance, REC expects 75 to 100 MW of utility-scale solar to be installed in 2016, 10 MW of commercial and one to two MW of residential.
While no specifics could be unveiled, the spokesperson added, "We have been in touch with various potential customers/partners from all kind of segments during the last months and are receiving a good interest for a collaboration due to our wide experience. Know-how transfer is a key driver for the African region."
In addition to supplying its PV modules to projects, REC is confident it can make headway in Africa, via its partner program and training expertise for the local solar industries. Specifically, REC will be offering kit solutions for residential installations and solar hybrid boxes for 20 to 50kW installations. It also plans to open a REC Academy to train distributers.
With favorable irradiation levels, rising populations, a lack of stable electricity supply and high fossil fuel prices, the market for solar is ripe on the continent, REC added.
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