There is a big chance that Africa will run huge solar power and wind power to supply their energy needs in 2030. A study found out that Africa is a continent where renewable energy is the most viable.
In Southern and Eastern Africa, there are 21 countries that are power pools. They have the potential to house some of the largest solar and wind farms, a UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory team stated. After assessing the most part of Libya and Egypt in the north and along the eastern coast to South Africa, they concluded that it is perfect for solar power and wind power. Most African countries will decrease the use of fossil fuel and hydroelectric if ever they map out a really good strategy in building the renewable power plants, Berkeley News reported.
Not only they will use less fossil fuel and other conventional energy sources, the cost of their electricity will also decrease. Moreover, building these non-conventional energy sources in Africa will help them lower the cost for building other energy plants. "The surprising find is that the wind and solar resources in Africa are absolutely gigantic, and something you could tap into for relatively low cost," said senior author Duncan Callaway, a UC Berkeley associate professor of energy and resources and a faculty scientist at Berkeley Lab.
The low cost of wind power and solar power in Africa can also be used by other countries, Phys.org stated. Strategies need to be laid out for it to be perfectly accessible and it needs to be done soon. Everything will be maximized, from the renewable energy sources to international collaboration. Its negative impact will also lower.
This solution for Africa is the best way to handle the lack of energy and the drought that is brought by climate change. Since hydroelectric is used by one-third of the continent, changing it to more renewable energy in time before other worst effects of climate change will happen is the best way to deal with it. The researchers have also chosen the best and perfect places to build these renewable energy plants in Africa.
