The Planet Earth Institute will host a seminar consisting of high-level presentations, panel discussions and Q&A sessions as they explore defining challenging and opportunities impacting access to electricity today, and celebrate and ‘spotlight’ the individuals, research groups, academic institutions and businesses driving scientific, technological and commercial innovations that will come to define the future of renewable energy in Africa.
Renewable energy and access to electricity is critical for development and in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Currently, over 600 million people on the continent have no access to energy, with average electricity grid access a mere 20%, and just seven countries on the continent having electrification rates exceeding 50%.
Sub-Saharan Africa has access to a wealth of primary renewable energy supplies, with the potential to source an additional 10 terawatts of solar energy, 1,300 gigawatts of wind power, and 1 gigawatt of geothermal potential. Accelerating investment in renewable energy can help Africa achieve much-needed structural economic transformation and poverty reduction, improve agricultural productivity and contribute to food security, power water supplies, telecommunication services, and strengthen health care, and create new jobs, as well as protect its natural environment.
Speakers
- Jesper Hornberg, Founder, Givewatts
- Dr Alex Money, Founder and Programme Director, Smith School of Enterprise and Environment, The University of Oxford
- Lucia Bakulumpagi-Wamala, CEO, Bakulu Power
- Professor AbuBakr Bahaj, Head of The Sustainable Energy Research Group, The University of Southampton
- Charlotte Aubin, CEO, Greenwish
- Professor Yacob Mulugetta, Professor of Energy and Development Policy, University College London
- Jasandra Nyker, CEO, BioTherm Energy
For further details, please see the source article here.
