Solar energy development is on an upswing in sub-Saharan Africa, and each year more and more conferences held in Africa highlight developments in the area. There are at least four major solar conferences, including three in South Africa and one in Kenya, scheduled for 2014 in Africa.
Funding for utility-scale solar energy projects grew worldwide in 2013 as private investors and energy companies shelled-out about $13.6 billion — $5 billion more than the previous year, according to a year-end report from Mercom Capital Group.
During 2014, major solar conferences will shine the light on how far sub-Saharan Africa has moved into this solar energy boom and what opportunities remain.
Several solar conferences are scheduled to take place in South Africa, where the Minister of Energy has been sponsoring solar growth since 2011 through the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Program (REIPPP), a program to encourage investments in large utility-scale renewable energy projects.
The lessons learned from the first three REIPP rounds – and the opportunities in Round 4 – are that solar is now competitive with electricity from the new coal and nuclear power plants planned for South Africa. But these new solar energy projects have raised questions:
Can solar replace coal and nuclear power plants?
How will massive solar energy projects impact the grid of tomorrow?
Will utility-scale solar energy plants be built after the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Program?
“Solar is already a sustainable competitive solution for companies that want to save expenses on electricity and hedge the inevitable price increases,” said Edwin Koot, CEO founder and organizer of the conference, Solarplaza, the Solar Future: South Africa 2014, in an AFKInsider interview.
Here are some issues that will be tackled at four solar conferences planned for South Africa in 2014:
The 2nd Southern African Solar Energy Conference (SASEC 2014) is taking place now through Jan. 29 at the Pine Lodge Resort and Conference Center, Nelson Mandela Bay. The conference will focus on photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal technology, systems and applications, discussing recent developments in their field.
With a specific focus on research, technology development and deployment of solar energy in South Africa, this technical conference provides an opportunity for solar energy researchers and engineers to share ongoing or completed research, technology developments and experiences at the conference. After the formal presentations, participants will split into PV, solar thermal and solar resource groups.
Speakers include Dr. Michael Geyer, director of international business development for Spain’s Abengoa; and Prof. Eicke R. Weber, director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems and professor of physics/solar energy at the Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Germany.
Then, on Feb. 11-12, The Solar Future: South Africa 2014 conference will tackle “Challenges and Opportunities for Utility Scale PV Development,” “Financing Utility Scale PV,” and “Removing the Barriers” pertaining to regulatory challenges and grid issues.
“Most popular sessions will be on the future and opportunities of financing of utility scale PV projects and the session about embedded, or competitive solar application in the commercial sector,” conference organizer Koot told AFKInsider.
The “Future Perspectives & Inspiration” session looks at the true cost of coal and nuclear energy in South Africa through a panel discussion.
Scheduled speakers include: Karen Breytenbach, project advisor for the National Treasury; Saliem Fakir, head of Living Planet Unit – WWF; Scott Brodsky, partner at MacFarlanes LLP; Dick Berlijn, managing director for Subsolar; Bhavtik Vallabhjee, power and infrastructure at Standard Bank; Francois Viljoen, director of Cresco; and, Egmont Ottermann, group energy manager for PPC Ltd.
“We expect 100-plus high-level participants, mostly South African, but also international topexecutives,” Koot said. “Level of participants is top management, representing financial sector, developers, EPC companies, energy companies, consultants and experts.”
The 1st Africa Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition S. Africa will take place in Durban, South Africa, from March 27-29.
AfricaPVSEC is a new conference bringing together leading photovoltaic solar energy experts, researchers, public authorities, international organizations, donors and NGOs to discuss how solar energy systems are transforming many African countries.
Africa PVSEC will cover the wide spectrum of photovoltaics ranging from fundamental material research to business and policy assessments, as well as discuss the latest scientific results through three main topics: PV Technologies, Cells, Modules, Systems; Implementation and Standardization; and Enabling Environment – an economics discussion.
At this conference, you can expect a lot of emphasis on such topics as PV system reliability and availability, stand-alone systems, mini-grids, grid integration of PV systems, PV business opportunities, cost of PV systems in Africa, business models for mini-grids, PV in electricity markets, and financing PV in Africa.
CSP Today magazine’s CSP Today South Africa 2014, 3rd Concentrated Solar Thermal Power Conference & Expo, takes place April 8-9, at the Southern Sun Cape Sun Hotel in Cape Town.
While most of the solar conferences are targeting solar power that turns sunlight directly into electricity, concentrated solar thermal power (CSP) – using the sun to create heated steam to turn turbines – is finding a place on the African continent.
Now in its third year, CSP Today South Africa 2014 brings a mix of local and international policy makers, investors, consultants, utilities, suppliers and technology experts to discuss the key financial and technological challenges of concentrated solar thermal power.
Much of this conference focuses on how to make a CSP plant competitive by reducing the costs while solving technical and financial challenges.
The speakers include: Ntombikanina Malinga, CEO, SASTELA; José Alfonso Nebrera, CEO, ACS Cobra Kevin Smith, CEO, SolarReserve; Christoph Ehlers, Business Director, ACWA Power Kadri Nassiep, Chief Executive Officer, SANEDI; Marcel Bruhwiler, Principal Investment Officer, IFC; Alessandra Pardini, Partner, Webber Wentzel; Marc Immerman, Director, SolarAfrica / Lereko Metier; Riaan Meyer, CEO, GeoSUN Africa; and, Ayanda Nakedi, RE Director, Eskom
Meanwhile, Kenya is seeing it’s own renewable energy revolution as solar, wind and geothermal projects come online. In fact, the government there has been inundated with more proposals than had been planned for as it moves ahead with plans for around 300 megawatts of utility-scale solar capacity planned by 2017.
The Solar and Off-Grid Renewables Africa Conference will take place March 4 – 5 at the Sarova Panafric Hotel, Nairobi, to tout the country’s solar energy advances.
The scheduled speakers include: Engr Isaac Kiva, Director of Renewable Energy, Kenya Ministry of Energy; Johan Cilliers, First Solar Regional Director Sub Saharan Africa; Pavel Robert Oimeke, Director of Renewable Energy, Kenya Energy Regulatory Commission; Sindiso Ngwenya, Secretary General, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA); Arthur Itotia Njagi, Manager, IFC Lighting Africa program; Charles Muchunku, Chairman, Kenya Renewable Energy Association; Dexter Gauntlett, Senior Research Analyst at Navigant Consulting; and, Mr. Davis Chirchir, Cabinet Secretary, Kenya Ministry of Energy.
The list of speakers and sponsors is impressive but it is ironic it is taking place in Kenya. In November, Kenya’s energy secretary Davis Chirchir (one of the scheduled conference speakers) reportedly told Bloomberg News that the licensing of new solar and wind farms in Kenya would be suspended until 2017 in favor of other energy sources in an effort to drive down electricity costs. Bloomberg reported that Chirchir suggested the government now wants 80 percent of the new electric power to come from coal, natural gas and geothermal power.
But other energy industry publication reports indicate that the Bloomberg article had misreported the facts. And a spokesperson for the Solar & Off-Grid Renewables Africa Conference told AFKInsider that they “are optimistic that the conference will still attract good delegate numbers as we have already confirmed speakers from the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) in Kenya, (and the) Kenya Renewable Energy Association is endorsed by the Ministry of Energy, Kenya.”
