Measures for diffusion of solar PV in selected African countries

ABSTRACT

This paper investigates how African governments are considering supporting and promoting the diffusion of solar PV. This issue is explored by examining so-called ‘technology action plans (TAPs)’, which were main outputs of the Technology Needs Assessment project implemented in 10 African countries from 2010 to 2013. The paper provides a review of three distinct but characteristic trajectories for PV market development in Kenya (private-led market for solar home systems), Morocco (utility-led fee-for service model) and Rwanda (donor-led market for institutional systems). The paper finds that governments’ strategies to promoting solar PV are moving from isolated projects towards frameworks for market development and that there are high expectations to upgrading in the PV value chain through local assembly of panels and local production of other system elements. Commonly identified measures include support to: local production; financing schemes; tax exemptions; establishment and reinforcement of standards; technical training; and research and development.

KEYWORDS:

• Measures
• barriers
• solar PV
• Africa
• Technology Needs Assessment

Notes

¹www.tech-action.org. Accessed on July 10 2014.

²More information about the project and its results is available at www.tech-action.org.

³In the proposal, 12 countries are listed for the African region and the Middle East. The list only comprises nine countries for mitigation, as Ghana was selected only for adaptation technologies. Ethiopia was postponed to a later phase, and Lebanon is not included here, as it is situated in the Middle East.

⁴For a more comprehensive discussion of frameworks for systems approaches to innovation and technological change see e.g. Coenen and Díaz López (2010).

⁵Company webpage http://www.ubbink.co.ke/. Accessed on July 10 2014

⁶ONE website as of June 2014 http://www.one.org.ma/

⁷With reference to a study based on import data (Marge 2013).

⁸For an overview of delivery models for solar PV, see, for example, Nygaard (2009).

⁹http://www.lowcarbondev-support.org/PARTICIPATING-COUNTRIES/Morocco

http://www.lowcarbondev-support.org/PARTICIPATING-COUNTRIES/Senegal

¹⁰Personal communication 25.06.15 with Mamadou Saliou Sow, Director R20, Dakar, Senegal.

¹¹Personal communication on 26 June 2015 with Ousmane Fall Sarr, Head of the Studies and Information System Unit at the Senegalese Rural Electrification Agency (ASER), Dakar Senegal.