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Off-grid Installer – Africa’s Inland Countries, Islands And Solar

Africa has more inland countries than any other continent. They total  16 countries covering every part of the continent. They also have 12 island states of varying sizes many with small islands and no grid power. Many west African inland countries traded across the desert but today most trade is through major coastal ports like Tema and Lagos. Many of the very large countries including Nigeria, Ethiopia, DRC, Angola and Algeria have very large inland areas remote from the coast and powers supplies are absent or dependent on small and large petrol and diesel generation.

All these places need reliable and constant power that can help them grow and prosper. They are incredibly rich in one power source –the Sun. At Earth’s average distance from the Sun (about 150 million kms), the average intensity of solar energy reaching the top of the atmosphere directly facing the Sun is about 1,360 watts per square meter, according to measurements made by the most recent NASA satellite missions.

There’s one simple fact that may just change your thoughts on renewable power. In a single hour, the amount of power from the sun that strikes the Earth is more than the entire world consumes in a year. A lot of that energy finds it way into Africa because Africa is the only continent that is mostly located in the tropical parts of the world either side of the equator. 

Much of that power is absorbed by clouds and reflects from the oceans but not in the inland countries of Africa where much of the landscape is savanna, desert or semi desert with long sunny days and blue skies. …And remember this energy is totally free. No oil or gas company is extracting it from the ground and selling to its customers at vast profits.

After the solar equipment cost is paid for by free energy  the battery storage will have a life of 20 years and the panels for more than 30. The cost of solar kits is now cheaper than ever and is readily available and new battery storage at lower and lower cost customers can use the suns energy 24 hours a day.

In west Africa the inland countries all have savanna landscapes with wet and dry seasons. The wet season diminishes and eventually disappears as the Sahara Desert is approached. There are 4 inland countries including Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Chad. Additionally Nigeria, Mauritania and Algeria all have large inland areas adjacent to the desert. All have poor communications and mostly small populations in villages and so grids are very few and confined to the few large cities. All the power stations have to use imported fuel even though many are rich in oil and natural gas which is processed in countries in other parts of the world and rexported..

Lets look at a few examples where solar energy and the use of modular solar mini power stations housed in 20 foot and 40 foot containers depending on the application of the energy.

Tombouctou in Mali a country of 1,250,000 km2, it is the main town in eastern Mali with just 54,000 people located on the edge of the Sahara. With climate change its been subject to desertification. It was once a great Saharan trading centre with an Islamic University in the middle ages – a great period of prosperity and now a World Heritage site. Electricite du Mali supplies only 5 amp of power using  diesel generators. Fuel has to be carried on ferries that traverse the nearby Niger River. But the town has only 25 rainy days per year with bright blue skies the rest of the year. Average temperature is 49 Deg Cent. Power is needed to run the town but also to power a hospital and schools and raise water to farms from the Niger river using giant Archimedes screws. If only Tombouctou had reliable power it could surround itself with wonderful farms and grow more rice and vegetables and so halt the desert, perhaps even a new golden age. Offgridinstaller with their modular containerized solar systems have the answer which will bring reliable, energy independence to this once great trading centre.

350 miles off the coast of west Africa are the Cape Verde Islands. Once a Portuguese colony this now independent country has become a bustling tourist centre attracting many visitors from Europe.

Its composed of 10 islands some of which are very remote and only accessible by boat.

The westernmost island of Montetrigo has installed its own solar system and provides a mini grid to the main village producing electricity 24 hours a day with battery storage. The solar energy powers fridges, computers, lights and wifi allowing contact with the rest of the world. The island is self sufficient in power and no expensive fuels have to bought to the island to power generators. Other islands like Fogo in Cape Verde, Sao Tome and Principe, St Helena and Tristan Da Cunha all need solar, making them self sufficient and allowing them to contact the world.

In eastern Africa there are also four inland countries but another 4 have large inland regions. Kenya stretches from the coast to Lake Rudolph on the edge of Sudan. Similarly Ethiopia, the first country with a commercial passenger airline is a vast country with few roads and just one rail line to Djibouti.

South Sudan was formerly part of Sudan which became independent in 1956 but after a long and bitter civil war they finally achieved independence in 2011. With only 12 million people in an area more than twice the size of the UK there is virtually no infrastructure and all refined oil must be imported through Mombasa. South Sudan is like the island of Montetrigo but on massive scale and needs power for hospitals, clinics and irrigating farms.

All the inland countries despite their diversity – even Lesotho, have common characteristics which makes solar offgrid systems an ideal source of power for inland countries.

• Most of the countries are massive (Mali 1,240,000 km2 with only 20 million people)with no complete grid system. 
• Inland countries are mostly rural with scattered small market towns. The vast majority still live in the rural areas so grid power systems are expensive to build and serve a minority of the population. 
• Most countries are dry and hot with long periods of blue skies. Many of the areas have some of the best insolation in the world. A city like Bamako with 2 million people could use solar and no other source of power with vast savings
• Most inland countries are poor with low per capita incomes and the major factor is a shortage of power in agriculture and industry and services. Cotton processing in Mali could add value with processing at village level but they need more power. 

The islands are ;

• Remote
• Have small populations
• Lack even basic facilities only available at great cost

In southern and eastern Africa tourism is a major industry and visits to game parks and lodges are a vital source of foreign exchange. Water is needed for the hotels and lodges but also for the animals. Long droughts associated with climate change are now becoming a major issues especially for wild game which is what people come to see. The game lodges need solar power for all their luxury and operational needs.

On the agricultural side irrigations systems need a power supply to pump the water into a tank or lake. Many farmers in eastern Africa supply tourist hotels with a wide range of food and could grow more with a containerised offgrid solar system.

Africa is the fastest growing and most dynamic continent on the brink of major change but  600 million people have no or unreliable power. Africa has a chance to do things differently and it needs to do it quickly just to keep up with demand from a growing population. Large hydro electric schemes, big thermal power stations, nuclear plants take many years to plan and even more to execute. The only solution is cheap, ready to use but reliable offgrid solar power built in Britain to high standards. Containerised units with equipment already fitted can be on site and operational within 4 months and the power is free and unlimited.

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