Bringing Concentrated Solar Power to Africa

Here’s an article that suggests that concentrated solar power (aka solar thermal) may be on its way to greatness in Africa, and discusses the path by which CSP can achieve that stature.  In terms of renewables generally, the author points out, “Africa attracted about $4.3 billion of the $268.7 billion invested worldwide in renewable energy last year. It signed up 36 projects, 28 of which were in South Africa, with Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe accounting for the rest.”

If our civilization is to adopt a sustainable energy policy, it’s especially important that the developing world leapfrog the fossil fuel “experience” and go immediately to solar, wind, etc.  At the same time, this deployment should bypass the old paradigm of centralized generation from power generation monopolies, and implement distributed generation and microgrids. 

This is by far the best and most immediate way to bring electrification to the rural parts of the developing world, which is so essential in bringing along better healthcare and education.