Author: Ling Ng
Scaling second-life batteries: What it takes to build a circular energy storage industry
Building a circular energy storage industry in Africa requires an ecosystem that preserves battery value across the full lifecycle, from design and use to repair, repurposing and, ultimately, recycling. A major starting point is collection and traceability. Africa has the […]
Island resort decarbonisation & enhanced energy independence through PV & BESS integration
Island resorts sit at the sharp end of the energy transition: grid connection is not an option, diesel must be shipped in by sea, and every litre burned adds cost, emissions and supply vulnerability. The hybrid microgrid commissioned at Taj […]
Beyond batteries: Why women are essential to a circular energy storage future
The next great energy revolution is already underway. For decades, the clean-energy conversation centred on generation: how much solar we could install, how many wind turbines we could build. Today, as renewables scale, a deeper question is emerging: how do […]
Be Cool: Solar-powered success for agriculture in Ghana & Kenya
After three years of successful collaboration, the project partners Phaesun GmbH and Solar Cooling Engineering GmbH (SCE) have successfully completed the international development project “BE Cool – Business Empowerment through solar cooling solutions”. The project was aimed to establish sustainable […]
WeLight targets Nigeria’s power gap with $31m solar mini-grid investment
New funding will help WeLight expand solar mini-grid projects in Nigeria as millions of people still lack access to reliable electricity. Nigeria’s electricity access challenge has attracted fresh investment after solar mini-grid company and ARE Member WeLight secured $31 million to […]
Beyond installation: Building C&I energy infrastructure that performs long after commissioning
Across Africa, commercial and industrial businesses are increasingly turning to solar PV, battery energy storage and hybrid energy systems to protect themselves from unreliable grid supply, rising electricity costs and operational disruption. For food producers, cold-storage facilities, farms, logistics companies, […]
From backup power to business advantage: The rise of BESS arbitrage in Africa
For many commercial and industrial businesses, battery energy storage has traditionally been viewed as backup power: a necessary investment to protect operations when the grid becomes unreliable. But across South Africa and broader African markets, that view is changing. Battery […]
C&I Solar: Scaling beyond megawatts through digitalisation
Commercial and Industrial (C&I) rooftop solar is one of the fastest-growing segments of the energy sector in sub-Saharan Africa. Businesses such as factories, warehouses, hotels, shopping centres, and agro-processors are increasingly adopting solar to reduce electricity costs, improve energy reliability, […]
REAL programme catalyst wins 2026 Ashden Award for solving energy challenges
ARE Member REAL Programme Catalyst have been awarded the 2026 Ashden Award for Solving Energy Challenges, one of the world’s leading awards recognising climate and energy innovation. The award was presented at a ceremony at London’s National Gallery on 18 […]
100+ companies call for electrification to become an economic priority
Signed by over 100 companies, with a combined annual revenue of over $1.5 trillion USD, this statement calls on governments to act with urgency to accelerate electrification and establish clean electrification as a central pillar of economic and industrial strategy. […]