The Minister of State in the Ministry of Infrastructure, Patricie Uwase, has said that solar energy potential in Africa is huge and presents a lot of untapped opportunities to connect the people of Africa to electricity.

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She was speaking during a press conference on the sidelines of the International Solar Alliance (ISA)’s fifth regional committee meeting of the African region on August 31.

The two-day meeting was attended by representatives from 32 ISA member countries, including 28 from Africa. It encompassed discussions around improving energy access and security, promoting solar power as a sustainable transition to a carbon-neutral future, mobilising finance, building capacity, and deploying solar projects.

Uwase noted that capacity-building on both individual and institutional levels is crucial to realising the solar potential, adding that ISA member countries need to be more active in terms of supporting the organisations and other initiatives.

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Tackling how the government strengthens industry-academia collaboration in the solar energy field, she said being part of ISA is a first step towards that, given that one of the strategic priorities of ISA is being a knowledge leader in solar. She explained that they&039;ve done a lot of reporting on different solar technologies, and the ease of doing solar, and they can be used by academia to teach better.

Uwase noted that as the cost of batteries reduces, solar technology is becoming better in Rwanda as people can use it during the rainy season and night time.

"The problem regarding the cost of batteries still exists, and that’s why ISA does research. The more it is done, the more the prices go down. In near time, the prices will decrease substantially so that those who use solar energy won’t face the issues,” she said.

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The Director General of ISA, Ajay Mathur, highlighted the need for regulatory support for solar energy, explaining that distinct regulatory challenges still face solar energy compared to fossil fuel-based energy generation.

He noted that there is also a need to establish research and development centres within African countries to address local issues.

Two notable initiatives within Africa received praise during the meeting. One focused on attracting more investment into solar energy and introduced a payment guarantee mechanism to ensure investor returns, while the other initiative identified 20 start-ups across Africa involved in various aspects of solar energy, such as manufacturing, development, and battery technology.

Mathur said that ISA is committed to supporting start-ups in building capacity, attracting investment, and enhancing their technological capabilities.

He also highlighted the significant decline in solar energy costs over the years, from around 40 US cents per kilowatt-hour in 2000 to as low as 2 US cents per kilowatt-hour today, making solar electricity an attractive and cost-effective option, especially in sunny regions.

According to Ibrahim Matola, Malawi's Minister of Energy, when it comes to energy security, solar is such a blessed natural source from God, given that other sources of energy contain delays and disruptions in the supply chain.

He stated that solar is a cross-cutting issue and an opportunity for Africans, thanking the ISA for developing a vehicle for knowledge and technology exchange as things continue to improve day by day.

"The time has come for Africa. Let's wake up and move together without leaving anyone behind," he urged.

Ghana's Deputy Minister of Energy emphasised the necessity of solar to electrify island populations because they are in difficult-to-reach regions where solar electricity is required.

He added: "Solar is, without a doubt, the finest option for Africa. Regions of Africa, such as Bota Lake, Paso, Mali, and Niger, are landlocked, and energy generated from liquid fuel, or even gas, must currently be brought from Nigeria or Uganda down the coast all the way up there. So, while solar is the simplest answer in the near term, it is also the most expensive in the long term. This is something we are working on addressing, and we are very privileged to have the leadership of ISA.”