Covid-19 is heightening the stakes for off-grid solar in Africa
“Without energy, we can’t fight this,” said Bill Lenihan, CEO of Zola Electric, a company that develops solar and storage systems in Africa.
Morning brief: Elon Musk’s battery day ‘will blow your mind,’ Chinese module prices expected to rise 12.5%
Also in the brief: Powerhome has partnered with Generac, Duke Energy is donating $150,000 in low-income bill relief, Seychelles readies the world’s largest salt-water floating solar plant and more.
Morning Brief: Google’s airborne wind turbine ‘moonshot’ closes, SEIA on Black History Month, solar under storm
Also in the morning brief: Maine’s renewable procurement, Scatec Solar’s big South African solar plant, Silfab Solar’s manufacturing expansion in Washington, plus the NABCEP conference is next month.
Beijing to develop 500 MW of solar in Uganda
State-owned China Energy Engineering said the PV capacity will be developed in two phases in a deal worth $500 million.
Morning Brief: unenthusiastic solar bill in West Virginia, battery storage is suffering from ‘growing pains’
Plus the Rise and Fall of Real Goods Solar, Australian solar predictions and 50 MW of PV in Zimbabwe
Italian PV panels destined for recycling were instead smuggled to Syria and Africa
Illegally re-badged panels were sold to Senegal, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Morocco, Mauritania, Turkey and Syria. Italian authorities found 60 tons of panels.
GivePower takes aim at water scarcity with new solar desalination systems
SolarCity, a nonprofit acquired by Tesla, launched the nonprofit GivePower in 2013 — and the Rive brothers, SolarCity’s founders, are on the board.
Ethical energy storage needs ethical strategies for cobalt supply
Amnesty International has denounced cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo for human rights violations and the use of child labor since 2016. This has led LG Chem and other companies to insist on standards for battery cell suppliers.
Report: the commercial opportunity for off-grid solar power in Africa is $24 billion per year
On a continent where 600 million people have no access to electricity, “The combination of solar and fintech is driving an economic transformation.”
Caterpillar, SunPower team up on CAT-branded solar
Caterpillar-branded SunPower modules will be available in Southeast Asia, Africa, South America, and the Middle East – but not yet the United States.
