Week 20 Feb 2020
Off-grid solar solutions have played a pivotal role in extending energy access to millions of people, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, which face some of the world’s biggest gaps in energy access rates. Policymakers, private investors and end users alike have embraced off-grid solar products as an affordable and sustainable solution for electricity access, as productive use appliances for irrigation, cooling and refrigeration have helped provide a source of income for households across the agricultural, industrial, commercial, and public sectors. The 2020 edition of the Off-Grid Solar Market Trends Report includes the most comprehensive sales and impact data available, in-depth analysis on current market dynamics and an outlook on the future of the industry.
Week 13 Feb 2020
Africa’s economic outlook continues to brighten. Its real GDP growth, estimated at 3.4 percent for 2019, is projected to accelerate to 3.9 percent in 2020 and to 4.1 percent in 2021. Growth’s fundamentals are also improving, with a gradual shift from private consumption toward investment and exports. And for the first time in a decade, investment accounted for more than half the continent’s growth, with private consumption accounting for less than one third. The 2020 Outlook highlights, however, that growth has been less than inclusive.