The team concluded that even after excluding solar and wind farms from areas that are too remote or too close to sensitive environmental or cultural sites—what they term "no-regret" sites - there is more than enough land in this part of Africa to produce renewable power to meet the rising demand, if fossil fuel and/or hydroelectric power are in the mix to even out the load. University of California, Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have used resource mapping tools to develop a strategy for developing renewable energy in Southern and eastern Africa. The researchers found that the region is home to more than half of Africa's total solar power potential, with about 30 percent of its land area suitable for solar. Choosing wind sites where generation matches demand is cheaper than choosing sites with the greatest energy production, the report added.
University of California, Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have used resource mapping tools to develop a strategy for developing renewable energy in Southern and eastern Africa. The researchers found that the region is home to more than half of Africa's total solar power potential, with about 30 percent of its land area suitable for solar. Choosing wind sites where generation matches demand is cheaper than choosing sites with the greatest energy production, the report added.