Renewable Energy News

Only 16% of Rwanda’s households are connected to the grid. But it’s not all doom and gloom. The country is emerging as a regional high-tech hub and one of the world’s most competitive economies. It is one of the countries showing that it is possible to reverse the trend of not having adequate electricity. Its approach is showing that adapting new technologies, policy reform and innovative business models offer promising pathways to renewable energy transformation. Its vision on energy transformation could be the inspiration the Africa region needs to reverse the energy deficit.

Fighting climate change will involve massive changes to the way we produce and distribute energy. Those changes are already happening. Several studies have looked at how our energy systems will change as clean energy increases and fossil fuels are replaced.

But climate change must be planned into this transition.

For instance, temperature is a key driver of demand for electricity, and future increases in heatwaves will probably drive higher electricity demand for air conditioners.

So how could future climate changes affect the ability of the system to generate enough electricity?

Climate and energy

Renewable energy technologies are highly dependent on climate-related factors including sunlight, wind speed and water availability. Water is also a key requirement for coal and nuclear power stations. Heatwaves can impact on the capacity of transmission lines to move energy around the national grid.

Standalone Photovoltaic (PV) systems are amongst the oldest of applications of photovoltaic systems, and are a testament to photovoltaic technology’s ability to operate in the most extreme of conditions.

They are typically used in isolated locations with low or no population, or in place of conventional grid infrastructure in less-developed regions. Standalone systems, as the name suggests, are energy systems designed to operate independent from a grid source of electricity.

Newly released research by the Tasmanian Renewable Energy Alliance and Solar Citizens shows that power generated from household solar in Tasmania is worth more double the current price, holding back an industry that could bolster energy resilience. The analysis of electricity generation, network, health and climate benefits shows solar is worth between 17 and 22c/kWh.

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