#Solar panel company in Ghana

[jubailibrosolar]

Discover the future of sustainable energy with Jubaili Bros, the premier solar panel company in Ghana. As a trusted name in the industry, we bring cutting-edge solar solutions to empower homes, businesses, and industries across Ghana. Explore the possibilities of clean energy with Jubaili Bros – your partner in harnessing the sun's power for a brighter, sustainable future.

[xtruss]

Zimbabwe’s ‘White Gold’! Critical Minerals Law Favors China

Harare has Africa’s largest lithium reserves and Beijing is poised to benefit, despite an export ban.

— By Nosmot Gbadamosi | Foreign Policy | August 16th, 2023

A foreman looks on as an earth mover works on the slippery road at Arcadia Mine on Jan. 11, 2022 in Goromonzi, Zimbabwe. ​Tafadzwa Ufumeli/Getty Images

The world’s clean-energy transition will be impossible without African minerals—and a degree of resource nationalism from African countries is benefiting China, which has for decades invested in the African Green-Energy Market and accounts for 59 percent of the world’s lithium refining. Chinese companies run the majority of Zimbabwe’s mines and are better positioned to expand domestic processing there.

Lithium, often referred to as “White Gold,” is essential to producing Solar Panels and the Rechargeable Batteries that power electric vehicles; and in 2022, demand pushed prices up by more than 100 percent. Africa could supply a fifth of the world’s lithium needs by 2030, but to best serve citizens, African leaders are demanding that miners go beyond extraction and add value by locally processing the raw mineral.

Last December, Zimbabwe 🇿🇼, which has Africa’s Largest Lithium Reserves, imposed a ban on raw lithium ore exports, requiring companies to set up plants in the country and process ore into concentrates before export in order to boost local jobs and revenue. Those seeking to export and not process domestically would need to provide proof of exceptional circumstances and receive written permission to export raw lithium ore.

Zimbabwe’s ban, called the Base Minerals Export Control Act, will stop the country losing billions in mineral proceeds to foreign companies, officials said. Namibia 🇳🇦 has followed suit; and in 2020 around 42 percent of African nations, excluding those in North Africa, had implemented restrictions on raw exports, including the Democratic Republic of Congo 🇨🇩, Ghana 🇬🇭, and Nigeria 🇳🇬.

Traditionally, “mining companies after extraction enjoy all the benefits [while] leaving communities in their catchment areas to bear the brunt of life-threatening dangers associated with their operations,” Edmond Kombat, research and finance director of Ghana’s 🇬🇭 Institute for Energy Security, told ESI Africa. “It is time to stop that practice.”

However, China, which controls the world’s critical minerals supply chain, is ideally placed to reap benefits in these situations, because several Chinese owned companies have recently completed processing plants in the country. Chinese-owned Companies have Spent more than $1 Billion acquiring and developing lithium projects in Zimbabwe, which in contrast has seen Very Little Western investment.

Last month, Chinese minerals giant Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt opened a $300 million lithium processing plant at its Arcadia Mine in Zimbabwe, which it bought last year from Australia-based Prospect Resources for $422 million. The plant currently has the capacity to process around 450,000 metric tons of lithium concentrate annually. Under Zimbabwean law the refined lithium can then be exported for further processing into battery-grade lithium outside Zimbabwe.

In May, another Chinese company, Chengxin Lithium Group, commissioned a lithium concentrator to produce 300,000 metric tons per year at the Sabi Star mine in eastern Zimbabwe. And China’s Sinomine Resource Group said last month it had completed a $300 million lithium plant, after it bought Bikita Minerals, one of Africa’s oldest lithium mines, for $180 million.

Zimbabwe hopes to satisfy 20 percent of the world’s total lithium demand when it fully exploits its known lithium resources. “If we continue exporting raw lithium we will go nowhere,” Deputy Mines Minister Polite Kambamura told Bloomberg last year. “We want to see lithium batteries being developed in the country.”

New rules stipulate that a 5 percent royalty rate will be payable on lithium exported, due half in cash and half in processed final products so that the country can build cash reserves it could use for government-backed borrowing.

U.S. sanctions on Zimbabwe 🇿🇼, imposed since 2001, have impacted the country’s access to borrowing and investment, leaving few options but China. Last year, Zimbabwean Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube claimed the country has lost more than $42 billion in revenue as a result of Western sanctions. The Zimbabwe Investment Development Agency reportedly received 160 lithium investment applications from investors based in China in the first half of 2023 compared to just five from the United States.

Even among Zimbabwe’s regional peers, U.S. companies have been left on the backfoot. Nigeria Rejected Elon Musk’s Tesla in favor of Beijing-based Ming Xin Mineral Separation to build Nigeria’s first lithium processing plant in Kaduna State, in the country’s northwest region. Nigerian officials reportedly rejected Tesla’s proposal because it did not align with the country’s new policies. “Our new mining policy demands that you add some value to raw mineral ores, including lithium, before you export,” Ayodeji Adeyemi, special assistant to Nigeria’s mines and steel development minister, told Rest of World.

For decades, African economists complained that foreign companies extracted minerals without benefit to citizens. In 2015, Zimbabwean researchers estimated the country had lost $12 billion due to illegal trade involving multinational companies in China 🇨🇳, Canada 🇨🇦, the United States 🇺🇸, and the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 —enough money to pay off Zimbabwe’s foreign debt.

Africa holds more than 40 Percent of Global Reserves of Key Minerals for batteries and hydrogen technologies. Yet it’s predicted that, by 2030, more than 80 percent of the world’s poor will live in Africa, and about 75 percent of them in resource-rich countries.

It makes sense for African Nations to step up efforts to increase quality jobs. “The United States and Europe must ensure that the partnerships they are building in Africa are mutually beneficial and non-extractive,” Theophile Pouget-Abadie and Rachel Rizzo recently wrote in Foreign Policy. “Otherwise, they will run headlong into the walls erected by an increasingly dominant Beijing.”

Washington in January signed a memorandum of understanding to help the Democratic Republic of Congo 🇨🇩 and Zambia 🇿🇲 develop an electric battery supply chain. But China is going beyond this in terms of thinking about what African nations need. Beijing, for example, with support from the United Nations 🇺🇳 Development Program, is facilitating a joint research center in Ethiopia 🇪🇹 to fast-track access to renewable energy in the country.

Experts warn that more African countries banning critical raw minerals exports will impede global decarbonization. Zimbabwe’s ban is perceived as unrealistic because the country lacks skilled workers. Some countries (Kenya 🇰🇪, Tanzania 🇹🇿, and Zambia 🇿🇲) have implemented policies requiring mining companies to train locals, according to a recent World Bank report. The report suggests national export bans alone can make countries worse off because investors simply move their business elsewhere, but that training requirements could ensure retention of investment and the creation of a skilled workforce.

[gongwei491350778]

10kw off grid solar system in Mozambique

Mr Sergio is a business man from Mozambique who has ordered 10kw off grid solar system from Tanfon.

He contacts us from company website for the 10kw solar kit used in his house,

He said that he want to use this 10kw off grid solar system to power his normal loads in home

Such as 3pcs 1HP air conditioner, TV, Refrigerator, washing machines.

Lights and other small loads.

“Whether 10kw off grid solar system is enough to power？”

“Yes, very enough, for house usage, most usage power system is 1kw 3kw 5kw 10kw off grid solar system

If there is air conditioner about 3pcs，we suggest use 10000 watts off grid solar system at least, because air conditioner is inductive loads, when start working，the surge power is almost 3times for working power ”

“ok i see. I Very trust your products quality, because you have done so many airport, government cafe, army projects, so you guys must make sure quality even in house usage

I saw you have installed so many projects in africa also Mozambique, which give me more confidence to use your products！Also, excellent for you guys can provide one stop service.

I dont need to think about how many battery and panels i need, and how to design it, or find different things from different suppliers！I am very happy! Thanks”

Finally, Mr Sergio asked me to make PI directly then he can pay without any hesitation,

After all,Tanfon have more than 12years experience in solar area，and our mission is let the world get rid of expensive electricity bill.

TANFON 10KW off grid solar system related cases:

off grid solar power system design

Ghana 10kw off grid solar system home use

Commonwealth of Dominica 10kw off grid solar system project

[adjoasangare-blog]

Solar Panels – The Popular Choice for Generating Natural Electricity

Thousands of homes in Africa have realized the importance of solar energy and have installed them. Those considering switching to solar panels for generating electricity in their homes should have a clear idea about the features of solar systems.

Solar panels are made of several smaller units known as photovoltaic cells that can convert the sun's rays into usable electricity. Solar panels manage to tap the unlimited source of sun's energy and provide us with renewable energy that can be used for residential, commercial, and industrial purposes.

Let us look at some of the other benefits offered by the installation of solar panels in Africa:

• No production costs – Apart from the initial investment related to solar panel prices in Ghana, you do not have to shell out additional costs for energy production or maintenance of the solar panels. Even the cost of the installation can be recovered easily in some months.

• Versatile installation factor – You can install solar panels anywhere as it can be fixed both in vertical and horizontal ways according to the available space. The flexible features of the system make it possible for people to start the solar project on a small scale and slowly expand the project into a large scale at a later date. You can provide a vital supply of electrical energy in any remote location, especially in places where laying electrical lines is not feasible.

• Environmental-Friendly – Producing solar energy by harnessing the power of sunlight does not generate any kind of waste or creates noise pollution. Solar panels are long-lasting as compared to other energy-producing systems. Even in extreme weather conditions, solar panels give consistent performance.

• Boosting economical growth – Solar panel installation has indirectly promoted the creation of job opportunities in the market. You can make an online search for reputed solar companies in Ghana. These companies require marketing and sales staff for promoting their products in Africa. Thus, the widespread popularity of solar systems can help create a favorable job market and boost the economy of the country.

• Minimum energy bill – When you generate your own energy or electricity, it means that you will use less electricity from a utility supplier. This can help you save money while generating reduced energy bills. Solar panels are natural sources of green investment and truly beneficial for those who want to save on energy bills.

• Peak hour energy production – It has been noted that there is a high demand for energy during peak hours between 11:00 pm. and 4:00 pm. It is the time when the electricity price goes up. Those using solar energy do not have to worry about that as they tend to gain maximum production from the sun's intense rays during the same peak-hour period. Electricity produced during the afternoon period has a higher value due to the high demand.

Ongoing research on solar energy may soon yield positive results. The latest advancement in technology may help solar companies in Accra and Ghana to source low-priced components needed to manufacture solar panels. Soon, you may be able to install solar panels at affordable rates and become energy self-reliant.

[enitanoulai-blog]

Everything You Need To Know About Installation of Solar Panels

Solar Panels help in generating free electricity. They convert solar energy into electrical energy. Generating electricity through solar panels has numerous benefits like reduction in electricity bills, saving non-renewable energy resources and many more . The installation of solar panels is very cheap which an added benefit to it.

Rooftop solar panels in Ghana are extremely popular these days. These solar panels can be easily mounted on the roof and able to generate solar energy. However, there are certain things to consider while installing a rooftop solar panel to leverage its benefits to the fullest. Some important things to keep in mind are:

1)Condition of Roof: Rooftop solar panels are generally installed on rooftops. These solar panels come with 20-25 years warranty. This does not mean that we can install a solar panel directly on the roofs. Before installation, a proper inspection of the roof will be carried out. If your roof is damaged then there is no point to install solar panels because in such cases, their service life is reduced. Before installation, also check whether your roof is spacious enough to accommodate solar panels or not. Also, make sure that your roof is not shady and can trap maximum sunlight to generate electricity.

2)The slope of Roof: The slope of the roof plays an important role in defining the proficiency of the solar panel. The slope is also necessary to drain water that collects on the roof during rainy season. To generate the maximum amount of electricity using solar panels, the roof should face towards the north. To ensure proper drainage of rainwater from the roof, make sure that your roof is inclined at an angle of 10 to 30 degrees.

3)The Weight That the Roof Can Bear: Every roof can tolerate certain weight beyond which it collapses. Solar panels are heavy so they put weight on the roof. In order to avoid any damage, it is important to determine the load that the roof can bear. The solar companies in Ghana who install solar panels firstly, decide the weight your roof can withstand and then determine if your roof needs some additional support to install solar panels.

4)Electricity Consumption by the Building: Electricity requirement of different buildings is different. A proper analysis of the building is necessary to install a solar panel. Determining the amount of electricity consumed by the building beforehand, helps in deciding the number of solar panels required for that particular building. A solar panel comprises of 36 to 72 PV cells in which each cell can generate approximately 0.5 V power. This figure helps in determining the number of solar panels required to generate sufficient electricity for the building.

5)Deciding the Right Solar Panel: There are two types of rooftop solar panels those are very popular all over the world. The first type is a monocrystalline solar panel that is made up of single crystal whereas the second type is a polycrystalline solar panel that is made up of multiple crystals. Monocrystalline solar panels are more energy-efficient as the electrons inside the single crystal are free to move. The efficiency of solar panels also depends on its model and make.

Solar companies in Accra sell simple, cost-saving and hybrid solar energy systems for industrial, residential and commercial solutions

[thecarolynmarshall-blog]

Why Install Solar Panels At Your Home?

Nowadays, solar panels have become an essential part. Do you want to install a solar panel at the roof of your building? Before answering this, you should know the condition of your roof. As solar panels, need a full sunlight coverage area to be installed. This means that if your roof does not receive sunlight it will be useless to install a solar panel.

With the growing need for electric power in today’s scenario, the pollution has also increased to a great level. Before talking about the immense need for solar energy, let us understand why all of us rely on heat and light of the sun in our daily routine. Although nobody can withstand in sun for so long and you will notice that your skin will burn, tan and start having a severe reaction on your skin. Many urban builders nowadays focus on making home designs suitable for solar energy.

However, if you are planning to install a solar panel in your building, let us know more facts about Solar companies in Ghana.

1. The Accurate Type Of Solar Panel

There are basically two types of solar technologies; one is the thermal one that uses sunbeams to convert into air or heat water for internal use; the other is photovoltaic, which requires a lot of cells to convert sun rays into electricity. Therefore, you need to know which one is suitable for your building.

2. A Supportive Roof To Install Solar Panels

The most prominent part to consider is the condition of the roof on which you want to install the solar panel. If the roof is not fit for solar panels, then first get it repaired then only get solar panels installed. Another point to consider is the amount of sunlight your roof is getting because solar panels need enormous sunlight.

3. Other Queries

A crucial thing to consider is how much time will it take to generate electricity and when will you be credited. The particulars depend on the location you live in, as there are many logistics to be sorted out. The installer will answer all such queries, so don’t worry.

4. Follow Ways To Improve Its Efficiency

Before you install a solar panel at your home or office, ensure how much do you actually require on a daily basis. Therefore, trim your requirement for power as much as possible in order to improve its efficiency. Also, check for efficiency upgrades before you finalize the blueprints from the solar companies in Accra.

5. Make Sure The Installer Is Reliable

This applies to anyone you hire to install something at your home or office. But in this case, it is most important because it is an enormous expense. Moreover, it is not easy to install solar cells again and again.

Nevertheless, make sure that you get solar panels installed at your home only after checking the solar panel prices in Ghana, in order to make a fair dealing.

[herbbernstein0]

Install Solar Panels for Clean Energy

What’s better than cheaper electricity? It is solar power that offers massive savings on the electrical bill. It is practically a free source of energy which is renewable and clean. The solar panels installation will keep the operating costs low and keeps check on the carbon dioxide emissions. The solar energy is limitless and there is no danger in running out of solar power like fossil fuels shortly. Solar power is widely used all over the world to power homes, offices, commercial spaces, and even farms. The solar panels that are installed in the building have photovoltaic cells that convert sunlight to electricity and sent to the power grid for storage.

The most asked query regarding solar power is if the solar panels are expensive? The solar panel prices in Ghana are quite affordable but the overall cost usually depends on the number of panels installed. Solar energy is abundant and hence it is used in versatile conditions. It can be used to power a single home or power up an entire factory. When used on a small scale, the extra power can be stored in a battery or sent to the electric grid. Look for an ideal solar power plan from solar companies in Ghana before you start the installation.

Few things to consider before solar panel installation

The first step is to identify the location for solar panels installation. Ideally, solar panels are installed on the roof of buildings to power them. Look out for roofs that do not receive sunlight as they are covered in shade throughout the year. It is just a waste of money to install solar panels on such roofs. Once installed, solar panels get warranty for about 20 years so do any renovations for your roof that are needed before installing solar panels. It is just a waste of extra money to disconnect the panels and install later if you are due for a renovation in the coming years.

Before installing solar panels, identify the consumption of electric energy required for your building. Based on the power requirement, solar companies in Accra will install solar panels that fit your energy needs. Consider various aspects like type of solar panels, connection to the power grid and how to store excess power. Check the solar company’s offers in your region and decide on an agency that offers the best affordable price. The next step is to decide whether to buy your solar panel system or to lease one.

People often get carried away by the exciting advertising and forget to study in detail how it is beneficial for you. Installing the right solar panel system depends on the region you live in and how much sunlight is available during the year. Consider the length of the warranty offered by solar panel installers. Cheap solar panels installation often proves to be a risky move as the quality often declines compared to other products. Check all the available options before buying solar panels and the type of solar panel mounting to withstand heavy storms and rains.

[henriyire]

DARK CHILD

I was born in darkness.

The government had promised to connect my community to the national grid so many times that we had honestly lost count.

So I came into the small town called Aiyetoro on a quiet dark night.

Like every other night after it.

My first introduction to any light source apart from the sun's was to kerosine lamps.

They smoked and smelt so much, causing my Mother to cough everytime they were lit and they were all we had for light; a necessary evil.

My second was to solar energy. The community representative that gave the talk about it in our school said it was bound to take over electricity soon.

I believed him.

I talked my way into an after school job with the solar company that the

representative worked for.

It was far away in town but I didn't mind. The walk every day helped me take count of how many houses we had in the community and how they were clustered together.

A solar panel cost a ton of money and Aiyetoro just couldn't afford it.

So I started researching on how else we could harness solar energy without the huge expense involved. Soon enough, I stumbled on an idea that could work.

An affordable yet effective, all-inclusive solar box that could power bulbs and fans alone. After all that's all we needed at Aiyetoro.

The solar company was excited at the idea and guided me through the schematics I had designed. Armed with a few resources and a team I had put together, the first few boxes with their help was introduced to Aiyetoro that year.

Because the town was comprised majorly of clustered settlements, each neighbour noticed the light in the other's house and was curious as to the source.

It caught on fast.

By the beginning of the new year, I had started my own solar box design and distribution company and the products were already being used in neighbouring towns.

I eventually left Aiyetoro and moved to the big city and soon enough I was fabricating customised solar boxes for other rural African communities like Ghana, Senegal and Kenya

Just three years after I stumbled on the idea of customised solar boxes, my company had become a major player in the solar business.

My vision was simple. To make sure no other child was born in darkness like I was.

[abangtech]

Could developing renewable energy micro-grids make Energicity Africa’s utility of the future?

When Nicole Poindexter left the energy efficiency focused startup, Opower a few months after the company’s public offering, she wasn’t sure what would come next.

At the time, in 2014, the renewable energy movement in the US still faced considerable opposition. But what Poindexter did see was an opportunity to bring the benefits of renewable energy to Africa.

“What does it take to have 100 percent renewables on the grid in the US at the time was not a solvable problem,” Poindexter said. “I looked to Africa and I’d heard that there weren’t many grid assets [so] maybe I could try this idea out there. As I was doing market research, I learned what life was like without electricity and I was like.. that’s not acceptable and I can do something about it.”

Poindexter linked up with Joe Philip, a former executive at SunEdison who was a development engineer at the company and together they formed Energicity to develop renewable energy microgrids for off-grid communities in Africa.

“He’d always thought that the right way to deploy solar was an off-grid solution,” said Poindexter of her co-founder.

At Energicity, Philip and Poindexter are finding and identifying communities, developing the projects for installation and operating the microgrids. So far, the company’s projects have resulted from winning development bids initiated by governments, but with a recently closed $3.25 million in seed financing, the company can expand beyond government projects, Poindexter said.

“The concessions in Benin and Sierra Leone are concessions that we won,” she said. “But we can also grow organically by driving a truck up and asking communities ‘Do you want light?’ and invariably they say yes.” 

To effectively operate the micro-grids that the company is building required an end-to-end refashioning of all aspects of the system. While the company uses off-the-shelf solar panels, Poindexter said that Energicity had built its own smart meters and a software stack to support monitoring and management.

So far, the company has installed 800 kilowatts of power and expects to hit 1.5 megawatts by the end of the year, according to Poindexter.

Those micro-grids serving rural communities operate through subsidiaries in Ghana, Sierra Leone and Nigeria, and currently serve thirty-six communities and 23,000 people, the company said. The company is targeting developments that could reach 1 million people in the next five years, a fraction of what the continent needs to truly electrify the lives of the population. 

Through two subsidiaries, Black Star Energy, in Ghana, and Power Leone, in Sierra Leone, Energicity has a 20-year concession in Sierra Leone to serve 100,000 people and has the largest private minigrid footprint in Ghana, the company said.

Most of the financing that Energicity has relied on to develop its projects and grow its business has come from government grants, but just as Poindexter expects to do more direct sales, there are other financial models that could get the initial developments off the ground.

Carbon offsets, for instance, could provide an attractive mechanism for developing projects and could be a meaningful gateway to low-cost sources of project finance. “We are using project financing and project debt and a lot of the projects are funded by aid agencies like the UK and the UN,” Poindexter said. 

The company charges its customers a service fee and a fixed price per kilowatt hour for the energy that amounts to less than $2 per month for a customers that are using its service for home electrification and cell phone charging, Poindexter said.

While several other solar installers like M-kopa and easy solar are pitching electrification to African consumers, Poindexter argues that her company’s micro-grid model is less expensive than those competitors.

“Ecosystem Integrity Fund is proud to invest in a transformational company like Energicity Corp,” said James Everett, managing partner, Ecosystem Integrity Fund, which backed the company’s. most recent round. “The opportunity to expand clean energy access across West Africa helps to drive economic growth, sustainability, health, and human development.  With Energicity’s early leadership and innovation, we are looking forward to partnering and helping to grow this great company.”

Source

The post Could developing renewable energy micro-grids make Energicity Africa’s utility of the future? appeared first on abangtech.

from abangtech https://abangtech.com/could-developing-renewable-energy-micro-grids-make-energicity-africas-utility-of-the-future/

[jubailibrosolar]

Jubaili Bros stands at the forefront of Nigeria’s power solutions, offering a comprehensive range of reliable, innovative, and sustainable energy solutions. 

Join hands with Jubaili Bros, your trusted partner in providing cutting-edge power solutions, and embark on a journey towards a brighter, empowered Nigeria.

[un-enfant-immature]

Could developing renewable energy micro-grids make Energicity Africa’s utility of the future?

When Nicole Poindexter left the energy efficiency focused startup, Opower a few months after the company’s public offering, she wasn’t sure what would come next.

At the time, in 2014, the renewable energy movement in the US still faced considerable opposition. But what Poindexter did see was an opportunity to bring the benefits of renewable energy to Africa.

“What does it take to have 100 percent renewables on the grid in the US at the time was not a solvable problem,” Poindexter said. “I looked to Africa and I’d heard that there weren’t many grid assets [so] maybe I could try this idea out there. As I was doing market research, I learned what life was like without electricity and I was like.. that’s not acceptable and I can do something about it.”

Poindexter linked up with Joe Philip, a former executive at SunEdison who was a development engineer at the company and together they formed Energicity to develop renewable energy microgrids for off-grid communities in Africa.

“He’d always thought that the right way to deploy solar was an off-grid solution,” said Poindexter of her co-founder.

At Energicity, Philip and Poindexter are finding and identifying communities, developing the projects for installation and operating the microgrids. So far, the company’s projects have resulted from winning development bids initiated by governments, but with a recently closed $3.25 million in seed financing, the company can expand beyond government projects, Poindexter said.

“The concessions in Benin and Sierra Leone are concessions that we won,” she said. “But we can also grow organically by driving a truck up and asking communities ‘Do you want light?’ and invariably they say yes.” 

To effectively operate the micro-grids that the company is building required an end-to-end refashioning of all aspects of the system. While the company uses off-the-shelf solar panels, Poindexter said that Energicity had built its own smart meters and a software stack to support monitoring and management.

So far, the company has installed 800 kilowatts of power and expects to hit 1.5 megawatts by the end of the year, according to Poindexter.

Those micro-grids serving rural communities operate through subsidiaries in Ghana, Sierra Leone and Nigeria, and currently serve thirty-six communities and 23,000 people, the company said. The company is targeting developments that could reach 1 million people in the next five years, a fraction of what the continent needs to truly electrify the lives of the population. 

Through two subsidiaries, Black Star Energy, in Ghana, and Power Leone, in Sierra Leone, Energicity has a 20-year concession in Sierra Leone to serve 100,000 people and has the largest private minigrid footprint in Ghana, the company said.

Most of the financing that Energicity has relied on to develop its projects and grow its business has come from government grants, but just as Poindexter expects to do more direct sales, there are other financial models that could get the initial developments off the ground.

Carbon offsets, for instance, could provide an attractive mechanism for developing projects and could be a meaningful gateway to low-cost sources of project finance. “We are using project financing and project debt and a lot of the projects are funded by aid agencies like the UK and the UN,” Poindexter said. 

The company charges its customers a service fee and a fixed price per kilowatt hour for the energy that amounts to less than $2 per month for a customers that are using its service for home electrification and cell phone charging, Poindexter said.

While several other solar installers like M-kopa and easy solar are pitching electrification to African consumers, Poindexter argues that her company’s micro-grid model is less expensive than those competitors.

“Ecosystem Integrity Fund is proud to invest in a transformational company like Energicity Corp,” said James Everett, managing partner, Ecosystem Integrity Fund, which backed the company’s. most recent round. “The opportunity to expand clean energy access across West Africa helps to drive economic growth, sustainability, health, and human development.  With Energicity’s early leadership and innovation, we are looking forward to partnering and helping to grow this great company.”

[workfromhom]

Solar based ISP startup Tizeti launches 4G LTE network in Nigeria

Nigerian internet service provider Tizeti has launched its first 4G LTE network.

The Y-Combinator backed startup — that uses solar powered towers to deliver net connectivity — has built its premier 4G capable tower in the city of Port Harcourt, where Tizeti will offer its first 4G and ISP services.

The company operates primarily in Lagos, Nigeria’s unofficial business capital, and expanded this year to Ghana. Port Harcourt is the fifth largest city in Nigeria located in River State, another commercial hotspot for the country.

Tizeti plans to take its model to additional West African countries in 2020, according to CEO and co-founder Kendall Ananyi.

“We leverage inexpensive wireless capacity and plummeting cost of solar panels to create a low capex and opex network of owned and operated towers,” Ananyi told TechCrunch.

“We’re able to offer customers unlimited internet at 30 to 50% the cost of traditional mobile data plans,” he said.

The price for a Tizeti unlimited plan is 9,500 Nigerian Naira per month, or around $26. The startup has 1.1 million unique users and packages internet services drawing on partnerships with West African broadband provider MainOne and Facebook’s Express Wi-Fi. 

On the addressable market for Tizeti after its latest move, “Not everyone’s gonna sign up but we know we have 20 million in Lagos and 1.8 million in Port Harcourt; so even if we get 10%, that it’s a huge number for us,” Ananyi said.

A lot of businesses and tech startups bank on Nigeria’s numbers, since it has both Africa’s largest economy and population, at 200 million.

Tizeti raised a $3 million Series A round in 2018 and has built a suite of internet driven products to capture market share. In addition to ISP services, it launched a Skype-like personal and business enterprise communications service — WiFCall.ng— in April 2019.

Tizeti could shift the connectivity equation in Africa’s key tech hubs, such as Nigeria, where high levels of startup formation and VC investment are still hindered by weak internet stats.

Though Africa (primarily Sub-Saharan Africa) still stands last in most global rankings for internet penetration (35 percent), the continent continues to register among the fastest connectivity growth in the world.

Sub-Saharan Africa countries with the highest number of internet users include Nigeria (123 million), Kenya (46 million) and South Africa (32 million).

Nigerian startup Tizeti launches WifiCall.ng IP voice call service

from Facebook – TechCrunch https://ift.tt/34BraTv via IFTTT

[sekerenews]

Diageo Dedicates $219m to Sustainability Projects in Africa

Diageo the manufacturers of Guinness recently announced that it will be dedicating $219m to sustainability projects in Africa. They have committed themselves to invest $219million in renewable energy upgrades at 11 of its breweries in Africa. This move falls in line with the brewer’s largest environmental investment in a decade.

Diageo Dedicates $219m to Sustainability Projects in Africa

The goal of Diageo’s commitment to sustainability is to reduce its carbon footprint and help address climate change. Diageo plans to ensure its brewery sites are the most carbon and water-efficient as possible. Their investment will deliver new solar energy, biomass power and water recovery initiatives at the breweries. It will bring new infrastructure designed to improve the long-term sustainability of the company's African supply chain in seven countries. Diageo’s $219m investment will include: A commitment to switch to renewable energy at three African breweries in Kenya and Uganda. New biomass boilers will replace heavy fuel oil using sustainable fuel alternatives such as wood chip and rice husks to create steam power for the breweries, reducing carbon emissions by 42,000 tonnes (the equivalent of taking tens of thousands of cars off the road). New water recovery, purification and reuse facilities across five sites in Africa, including in Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria, saving over two billion cubic litres of water a year. Solar installations to provide renewable electricity at 12 breweries across six countries. These solar panels will produce up to 20% of each brewery’s electricity demand.

More Details about Diageo’s Investment in Sustainability

The investment will cover 11 sites in seven countries. These countries include Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania, Seychelles and Ghana. The brewer has already begun to adopt sustainable practices in its operations. Its new brewery Kimsumu in Kenya has already had solar power and water treatment facilities installed. By doing this the brewer is trying to ensure its operations have minimal impact from their start.

Diageo Speaks on Its Sustainability Goals and Investments

Ivan Menezes, Diageo’s CEO spoke on the brewer’s investment in sustainability in Africa. He talked about how they believe this is one of the biggest single investments in addressing climate change issues across multiple sub-Saharan markets. He stated that the investment demonstrates the strength of their commitment to pioneer grain-to-glass sustainability. It also demonstrates their commitment to positively impact the communities in which they live and work. He also talked about how the brewer has a responsibility as a local manufacturer and employer in Africa to grow their business sustainably. Read the full article

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Systematic Guide to Choose the Best Solar Companies in Ghana

Solar panels are the long-term investments, because of which you have to analyze various companies and individual providers thoroughly to choose the right one. However, the question is how one can select one of the best solar companies in Ghana from tons of solar providers. In this situation, you have to follow a systematic guide to select the appropriate one.

Step 1-Collect the Names of Different Solar Panel Providers

You should create a document and mention the names and other details of various solar companies in your area and in other areas as well. You should include both local and small ventures, along with national companies servicing your city or state. If possible, you should accumulate various solar panel prices in Ghana and other nearby areas to perform detailed analysis in the upcoming steps.

Step 2-Decide Whether You Want Local or National Company

While you compare various options related to solar companies, you should stay well aware of differences between a national company and a local business unit. Big companies are established ones and provide comprehensive guarantee services. They even provide multiple payment options and regular panel cleaning as well as other maintenance services.

On the other side, local solar companies in Accra are familiar with the permitting requirements and rebates of the respective city and other surrounding areas. Furthermore, local companies give service to limited locations and their customers. Thus, local solar panel providers do everything at a fast rate and allow scheduling appointments for installation and pricing quotes in less time.

Step 3-Check the Experience and Credentials of Potential Company

In most of the cases, years of experience of a company matter a lot as compared to its size. You have to check the websites of various companies to know the numbers of years, for which a company has remained in the business. Moreover, you should know the numbers and types of solar panels companies and their professionals have installed. 

Besides, you should check the roofing types dealt by different companies in the past. Other than experience, you should check the credentials of each of the solar companies in Ghana. Most of the companies advertise their certifications over internet. However, you may even give call to a specific company to collect the credential details in the case you fail to get anything on a particular company website.

Step 4-Read Various Online Reviews

Whether you want proper permits to select the size of solar arrays, apply for state and federal tax credit, installation of solar panels is a complicated task. You have to work with a company, which has helpful and approachable professionals. For this, you should read various customer reviews online.

Besides, you should contact with a potential company and ask for testimonials and references. Good companies always provide multiple references on request. Even you should note the general impression of various companies, which you get from online reviews. This step helps you to remember the concerns, which you should address with a particular company before moving ahead.

Therefore, with simple and easy steps, you will find the right solar panel installer to install the solar panel device in your property.

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How to Select the Best Solar Battery in Ghana?

Solar batteries and panels are the future, and everyone wants them in Ghana. There are a lot of solar companies in Ghana and solar companies in Accra too, but everyone should evaluate them first for certain specifications as there are different types of solar batteries and panels. The solar panel prices in Ghana are different, so consider it before buying them. This article has taken the specifications and compared them for people willing to buy them.

Solar Storage Options

The most important options to look for are the battery’s capacity & power ratings, depth of discharge (DoD), round-trip efficiency, warranty, and manufacturer:

Capacity and Power:

Capacity is the total amount of electricity that a solar battery can store and you can measure it in kilowatt-hours (kwh). Home solar batteries are intended to be "stackable", meaning that multiple batteries can be included with the solar-plus-storage system to get extra capacity. Power rating is the measure of electricity that a battery can convey at once, and you can measure it in kilowatts(kW).

Depth of Discharge:

It refers to the amount of a battery’s capacity that has been used. You shouldn’t use more than the specified DoD as higher DoD means you can utilise more of the battery’s capacity.

Round-Trip Efficiency:

It represents the amount of energy which can be used as a percentage of the amount of energy that it took to store it. Generally, a higher round-trip efficiency means you will get more economic value out of the battery.

Battery Life and Warranty:

The battery’s ability to hold charge will decrease gradually the more you use it. The solar battery will have a warranty that guarantees a certain number of cycles of use. The battery’s lasting capacity will depend on the brand of battery and the capacity it loses over time.

Manufacturer:

There are a lot of solar companies in Ghana and a lot of solar companies in Accra. While a major automotive company will have a long history of product manufacturing than a tech startup with brand-new high-performing technology but less of a track record to prove it, the solar panel prices in Ghana vary on the company producing it.

The solar batteries have a lifespan between 5 to 15 years. It is likely to improve as the market for energy storage solutions grows. Maintenance plays an important role in the lifespan of solar battery.

Batteries comprise one of three chemical compositions: lead-acid, lithium-ion and saltwater. They all have different specifications:

1. Lead-acid: It is a tested technology, and you can use it in off-grid energy systems. They have a short lifespan and lower DoD, but they are the least expensive options currently on the market.

2. Lithium-Ion: It is the most used battery in households and is lighter and more compact than lead-acid batteries. It has a longer lifespan but are expensive too than the lead-acid batteries.

3. Saltwater: It is the newest in the energy storage industry. It can be easily recycled but is virtually non-existent in Ghana. It relies on saltwater electrolytes which is easily recycled.

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Why Is There A Rise In Demand For Solar Energy?

Why do we need to opt for renewable energy in today's world? Well, the reasons are unending. Today many companies are opting for solar energy generated power to utilise in their companies production system. By doing this, they are opting for a better world and an even better economy. But what is the need for the inclination towards solar energy?

With every passing year, the demand for solar energy and its proper utilisation in domestic as well as the industrial world is increasing exponentially. If you are interested to know more about the topic and the reasons behind the demand, read on below.

The End of Non-Renewable Resources

Non-Renewable resources have been used to a great extent to date throughout the world, both for domestic and industrial needs. The utilisation has been so extensive that the resources are reportedly about to get over in a couple of decades. This has produced a rise in the demand for resources that can never come to an end in the foreseeable future. And what is better than the abundant solar energy that has no limits?

Thus, day by day, people have realised the importance of renewable energy resources and the need for utilising it with care to its maximum potential. Scientists have come up with ways to use solar energy to the maximum possible limit and slowly but steadily, several companies have opted for the way shown by them.

There are many companies in the world at present times that manufacture pieces of equipment and accessories that will help people to effectively harvest solar energy for their needs. Solar companies in Accra are very reputed for their amazing technological pieces of equipment and have seen their business grow rapidly in the last couple of years.

Ecologically Friendly Options

Renewable resources are good for our environment. On the other hand, non-renewable sources of energy cause a great deal of pollution. This pollution, if not controlled, can prove to be fatal for the entire humanity. Thus, everybody needs to opt for options that are safer and cleaner for the planet. Seeing the innumerable benefits of solar energy, some of the governments of the countries around the world have introduces some mandatory rules and regulations.

These work as precautions and limit and control the extensive uses of non-renewable sources of energy on a larger scale. Thus, the market for solar energy has seen a steep rise in demand these days. Solar companies in Ghana have introduced great solutions that can be used by companies all around the planet. These highly advanced pieces of equipment will help to reduce pollution globally in a significant amount.

The Affordability

Solar panel prices in Ghana are reported to be very affordable. These are reasonably priced. Thinking about long term benefits, many companies are coming forward to invest in such sustainable pieces. Even in domestic households, the demand is getting more because of the reasonable rates. It is a one-time investment that is going to help you save money for a really long time.