India: Rooftop PV targets missed, ground-mounted and off-grid exceeded
In the past financial year, India missed its rooftop solar PV targets, although it did exceed those for both grid-connected ground-mounted and off-grid systems, reports the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. Bridge to India believes the government’s rooftop targets have been set at the wrong level and that around 10 GW will be installed by 2022, rather than 40 GW.
Nigerian universities go off-grid with solar PV, storage mini-grids
Four of Nigeria’s federal universities and university teaching hospitals across the country have signed EPC contracts to develop mini-grid solutions, which will power their facilities and disconnect them from the main electricity grid. A total of 9.3 MW of PV and 5,760 battery cells will be deployed.
BBOXX leads on £2.5m crowdfunding scheme to bring affordable PV to Rwanda, Togo and Nigeria
In partnership with online investment platform Lendahand Ethex, British off-grid power specialist BBOXX will seek to raise £2.5 million via a series of retail focused investment offers to garner funds for the roll out of its solar systems in a handful of African countries.
Eco Energy to roll out off-grid solar to 10,000 rural Pakistani households
A US$600,000 investment has been secured by EcoEnergy to help it provide off-grid solar PV solutions to 10,000 rural households in Pakistan.
France’s Orange enters African off-grid solar market
The French multinational telecommunications corporation has announced a plan to begin providing off-grid solar solutions to Burkina Faso and, at a later stage, in Senegal, Mali, Guinea, and the Ivory Coast.
BBOXX raises €1 million for off-grid solar through crowdfunding
U.K.-based off-grid developer, BBOXX and online renewable energy investment platform, Trine have raised €1 million from crowdfunded investments in less than one month. The financing will be disbursed at the beginning of April, to enable BBOXX to scale up its operations in Kenya.
OPES Solution, Fraunhofer CSP develop ultra-light solar modules
The new products for off-grid applications are two thirds lighter than standard modules.
Masdar, EDF sign MOU to develop sub-Saharan Africa’s off-grid sector
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed by Masdar, the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, and EDF SA, the parent company of the EDF Group, to develop off-grid projects in sub-Saharan African countries.
IRENA and ADFD to fund $25m PV projects in Mauritius and Rwanda
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) have announced that two solar PV projects – one located in Mauritius and the other in Rwanda – will be receiving $25 million in concessional loans from ADFD, one in Mauritius and one in Rwanda.
South Sudan could reap immediate benefits from solar– report
The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) has proposed a “green pivot” for South Sudan, where solar energy could help decouple economic growth from the geopolitics of oil and gas. In a special report, it has identified three opportunities where solar could yield benefits. A donor-led transition is required.
