Page 32 - Vol 33 Issue 34 2021

Why Southern Africa’s interior is an ideal place to generate solar energy
energy Solar energy

Why

Southern Africa’s interior

is an ideal place to

generate solar energy

By Hartmut Winkler

outhern Africa is popularly associated with sunshine. Does that make the region exceptionally
Ssuited to solar energy generation?

With electricity shortages plaguing all parts of the total electricity generated. Compare that to Harvesting solar energy
the sub-continent, a plentiful energy source that some European countries that don’t have ample Sunlight is ultimately a stream of photons. Think
is becoming increasingly affordable to tap into sunshine, such as Germany, where solar’s share of photons as little arrows, each carrying a small
seems like an ideal solution. Yet the rollout of of the total electricity generated rose above 10% quantum of energy. Upon striking a solar panel
solar power generating facilities has been very last year. or some other solar device, the photon will be
slow in the region. So is southern Africa, and in particular its dry annihilated, and a fraction of its energy will be
Most solar power developments in the sub- interior, really among the world’s best sites for converted to heat or electricity.
con ti nent have been in South Africa. But even in solar energy generation, as is often claimed? To maximise the energy collected by the solar
the country, solar farms account for only 2.5% of device, you try to intercept as many photons as

32 | AFRICAN POWER Mining & Oil Review Vol33 Issue 34 2021