China-made panels drive Africa''s 15 GW solar
According to a new analysis of China''s solar panel exports data from energy think tank Ember, solar panel imports into the continent
Rodger Bosch/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images China's solar exports to Africa are surging. Over the course of the past year, Chinese companies shipped out solar equipment to a vast range of countries on the continent, according to an analysis of Chinese export data by Ember, an energy tracking group.
From Algeria on the Mediterranean coast to landlocked Zambia in the south, countries across Africa have been importing significantly more solar panels from China this year than in the past, which analysts say could be the start of a massive effort to help meet the continent's power demands with renewable energy instead of fossil fuels.
Over just 12 months, China shipped solar panels with an overall capacity of 15 GW to the continent. "Everybody seems to be very bullish about solar in Africa," John van Zuylen, CEO of the Africa Solar Industry Association (AFSIA), a pan-African lobby group, told DW.
Since Chinese solar companies have significant price advantages over manufacturers in other countries, they are always the go-to option for supplying Africa's solar demand. There are two types of demand driving the solar boom in African countries, Echard says.
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