21 August 2014: Sub-Saharan Africa is set to add a total of 1.8 gigawatts (GW) of electric power capacity from renewable energy sources in 2014, excluding hydropower, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). BNEF has announced that this figure is larger than the total combined renewables capacity added from 2000-2013 in the region.

According to BNEF, South Africa, Kenya and Ethiopia are leading the trend. South Africa is anticipated to add 3.9 GW over the period 2014-2016; while Kenya and Ethiopia will add approximately 1.4 GW and 570 megawatts (MW), respectively. The statement suggests that small-scale solar has the potential for explosive growth in many sub-Saharan countries, should a viable financing model allow households to meet the upfront costs.

The region’s total non-hydro clean energy investment is expected at US$5.9 billion in 2014, with projections for US$7.7 billion by 2016. These figures compare to an average of US$1 billion annually from 2006-2011. BNEF explains that falling costs for technologies such as geothermal, onshore wind, and both small-scale and utility-scale solar, in addition to growing demand for electricity in the region, are driving the growth in renewables investment. BNEF finds that these technologies are becoming cost-effective alternatives to diesel, gas and coal in many instances. [BNEF Press Release] [BNEF Statement]