The appetite for renewable energy in Africa is growing, according to a World Bank study which reported that over a quarter of a million settlements in Africa favor the deployment of solar minigrids in their communities.
However, experts say prohibitive government policies and lack of suitable space to establish the energy systems are delaying their deployment, even as the World Bank reports that 568 million people in sub-Saharan Africa are not connected to electricity.
Mark Napier, CEO at FSD Africa, said there is a huge opportunity for Africa in renewable energy, but the tax systems in most countries favor investments in “brown” rather than “green” economies.