TOBY SHAPSHAK: A new dawn for solar energy
The cost of solar power has fallen 95% in 30 years, so why are we still building coal and nuclear plants?
To say Amar Inamdar has a vision is an understatement. The soft-spoken, steely-eyed Inamdar wants everyone in Africa to have access to electricity, and he runs a US$100m fund to do just that. But not conventional coal-fired energy. Through KawiSafi Ventures, Inamdar wants to bring solar energy to East Africa, and his quiet confidence shows he’s making progress. "There is a revolution in the villages or towns around us," he told the TEDGlobal audience in Tanzania last month. "It is an echo of the cellphone revolution and is also wireless. Now it is solar." But the problem is the old ways of thinking about energy are rooted in unsustainable business models, which can never scale to reach the demands of a power-hungry Africa.There are 620m people in Africa without a connection to the electricity grid, he said, and it would cost $1,500 to connect each household to the grid. Doing so would take about nine years. "The cost of building these grids is unsustainable. If you add up the defici...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.