This collection aims to provide a reference for policy makers and practitioners working to scale up bioenergy in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa. Energy, agriculture, forestry, environment, finance and business experts all seek for solutions to provide energy and also enhance food security, social welfare and environmental sustainability.

The report highlights the main challenges and way forward to adapt the broader UNFC specifications and guidelines to geothermal energy resources.

Les énergies renouvelables à faible coût jouent un rôle de plus en plus important dans l’offre d’électricité en Afrique de l’Ouest. Ce rapport présente trois grands scénarios pour la croissance des énergies renouvelables dans les systèmes d’énergie de la région, notamment en ce qui concerne les principaux objectifs nationaux et régionaux.

The RRA report presents clear and practical steps to maximise the country’s use of renewables in driving sustainable socio-economic growth.

Mauritania possesses significant renewable energy resources, which could be developed to strengthen the economy and improve access to energy. Solar and wind energy technologies are well suited for integration into the country’s existing network of mini-grids, according to this Renewables Readiness Assessment (RRA) report released by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in association with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

This report presents the status of renewable energy employment, both by technology and in selected countries, over the past year. In this fourth edition, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) finds that renewable energy employed 9.8 million people around the world in 2016 – a 1.1% increase over 2015.

The report lays out a pathway to a renewable-based energy system and shows that the transition promises substantial gains in GDP, employment, and human welfare in each region of the African continent.

This report advises the country’s energy planners to explore different renewable energy policy assumptions and investment scenarios, taking into account the latest studies on resource potential and technology costs.

The East African Rift region holds significant geothermal potential. This report offers recommendations to fast-track regional geothermal energy development.

This report offers detailed estimates of the biomass resource potential in Ghana, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda. With conversion to advanced liquid biofuels, sustainable biomass feedstock could potentially meet or exceed the five countries’ combined fuel needs for transport in 2050, according IRENA estimates.

Les conclusions de l’évaluation de l’état de préparation aux énergies renouvelables (RRA) soulignent les obstacles majeurs qui entravent le déploiement généralisé des systèmes d’energie renouvelable. Elles identifient des actions critiques qui pourraient avoir un impact significatif sur l’accroissement des énergies renouvelables à court et moyen termes.

The study defines a trajectory to 2030 based on current government policies and plans and identifies the options for additional renewables deployment by energy-use sector and technology.

This joint report by RES4AFRICA, IRENA and UNECA calls for enhanced co-operation to accelerate SDGs in Africa and support a just and inclusive energy transition.

The historic Paris climate agreement, adopted by countries around the world in December 2015, aims to the rise of global temperature well below 2 degrees Celsius. Renewable energy will play a key role in this effort, which encompasses developing as well as developed countries, by increasing the supply of cheap and accessible energy in a less carbon-intensive manner.

Ghana has one of Africa’s highest rates of access to electricity. In 2014 this was estimated at 72%, with over 87% in urban areas and nearly 50% in rural areas. The country also exports power to its neighbours, Togo, Benin and Burkina Faso. The Ghanaian power industry is unbundled, comprising generation utilities, transmission and distribution companies, and independent power producers.

Sustainable biofuels have an important role to play in Africa’s development. Sugarcane bioethanol is currently the most cost-effective commercial biofuel and has the highest energy balance.

Senegal is very committed to renewables, with an articulated institutional and policy framework. It is one of the first countries to pass a renewable energy law in West Africa. Senegal is home to the first Solar PV module manufacturing in West Africa, with a yearly capacity of 25 MW.

This report explores potential for urban communities to scale-up renewables by 2030, based on estimated energy use 3,649 cities around the world. By highlighting the best practices, it examines the policies and technologies by which cities can bring about a renewable energy future.

The number of people without access to electricity is estimated at more than a billion, while almost 2.9 billion still rely on traditional, unsustainable biomass sources such as firewood for cooking and heating. About 80% of those lacking modern energy access live in rural areas, which also host more than 70% of the world’s poor.

This report explains how IRENA approached the challenges of data collection to produce the estimates of off-grid energy production and use. An overview of the data collected and detailed tables are provided.

Auctions can help countries across sub-Saharan Africa achieve record-low prices for solar and wind power. Five countries have run renewable energy auctions, while at least 15 more are developing such programmes.

This study presents a methodology to estimate the sustainable energy potential from land restoration in line with the Bonn Challenge, particularly as it relates to African countries.

This technology brief provides technical background information, analyses market potential and barriers, and offers insights for policy makers on biogas for domestic cooking.

Renewable energy auctions are an increasingly popular tool for governments to procure renewable electricity at moderate cost. IRENA’s report, Renewable Energy Auctions in Developing Countries, describes various types and aspects of renewable energy auction schemes, drawing on the actual experiences of five countries: Brazil, China, Morocco, Peru and South Africa.

This report explores how African countries can achieve universal energy access within the 2030 Agenda timeframe. Also, explores transformational potential of the electricity sector in five Africa countries.