What prevents us from switching to renewable energy entirely?
In many areas of Africa, the annual sun radiation per square metre exceeds 3,000 kilowatt hours. The typical sub-Saharan African currently uses 20 times as much electricity in a year. With figures like these, it’s clear that Africa has the capacity to see a 21st-century energy revolution. It is a revolution that has the potential to open up new economic opportunities and create tens of thousands of new employment, all while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and pollutant emissions.
The Western Sahara Desert, the Horn of Africa, and South Africa’s coastal regions all experience some of the highest sustained wind speeds in the whole planet.
But can we get enough electricity from these renewable energy sources to suit our needs?
Over 1,000 homes can be powered by only one huge wind turbine, which uses wind energy to create electricity. Additionally, 200 homes may be powered by a single hectare of solar panels, which use the energy of the sun.
What about the price, though?
Solar panels and wind turbines used to be highly expensive. However, during the past 20 years, as worldwide interest in renewable energy sources has grown, there has been a sharp decline in price due to technological advancements and economies of scale. Costs for wind turbines have decreased by a third and solar photovoltaic panels by 80% in the last six years alone. Therefore, more people will have more power at a far lesser cost.
Leonardo and Elon Musk calculated in 2016 that 100 of his “gigabyte-like factories” would be sufficient to provide the entire planet with renewable energy.