Solar Energy Is Rapidly Expanding Across Africa

The rapid expansion of solar energy across Africa has brought hope for using renewable energy to power more areas of the continent. For example, more than one-third of the energy in the Central African Republic comes from sunlight, making it the country with the highest penetration rate of solar energy in the African power structure. This is based on the latest report from the African Solar Industry Association (AFSIA).

The Central African Republic is leading in solar energy, but two other countries now have over a quarter of their energy coming from solar energy, while 13 countries including Chad, Somalia, and Malawi have over 10% of their electricity coming from solar energy. At least one village in Malawi relies entirely on solar power generation.

AFSIA, headquartered in Kigali, pointed out in its report that their energy segmentation is an estimate that may underestimate the true scale of the industry, as the methods used failed to capture many small projects. These numbers should also be viewed correctly, as Africa remains the continent with the lowest level of electrification in the world; Approximately 600 million people lack access to reliable and affordable electricity. In the Central African Republic, only 15.7% of the population has access to electricity, mainly concentrated in the capital city of Bangui. Researchers have found that this energy poverty poses significant obstacles to development and the protection of human rights.

Africa has abundant renewable energy resources. The African continent has about 60% of the world's best solar energy potential, but only accounts for 1% of the global solar photovoltaic installed capacity. The report points out that such abundant energy has left huge growth potential for the industry, but solar energy has long been overlooked by investors due to its intermittency.

However, the increasing availability and affordability of batteries can help overcome limitations and make solar energy a more important source of electricity generation in Africa.

However, batteries, including the most commonly used lithium-ion batteries, pose environmental risks, including pollution caused by mining minerals required for battery manufacturing and contamination of local water supply. Sometimes cheaper lead-acid batteries are also used. In 2024, researchers in Malawi found that informal remanufacturing of lead-acid batteries can also release hazardous amounts of lead into the environment, posing a threat to recyclers and the health of humans and animals.

The expansion of solar energy in Africa may soon slow down. China is a leading global supplier of photovoltaic solar panels and battery energy storage, accounting for an estimated 80% of global solar panel production. Starting from April 2026, Chinese solar panel manufacturers will no longer benefit from the export value-added tax credit for solar energy storage batteries, which may drive up costs for African buyers. This will be a gradual reduction process, but tax credits will be completely eliminated before 2027, which could have a significant impact on the development of Africa's renewable energy industry.