Essay Sample on Adoption of Solar Power in Mali

Introduction

Human beings have relied on sunlight to offer the requite energy needed for them to carry out various activities that sustained their survival for many centuries. Even in the ancient days, people used sunlight for various purposes, including preservation of foods and production of energy though rudimentary methods were used in such applications. The highlighted uses remain the major application of energy emanating from the sun up to today. However, it is the massive conversion of sunlight into electricity that has revolutionized the energy sector in recent decades (Banoni et al. 2012). As of 2015, the installed capacity of solar power was estimated to be around 227 GWe, accounting for about one per cent of global electricity used worldwide (World Energy Council 2018). Considering the recent trends, future consumption can be expected to expand phenomenally.

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Global Perspectives

Solar power as a source of energy has been widely embraced over recent years due to its benefits vis-a-vis other sources of energy, and it is the increased appetite for solar power that has seen an exponential increase in demand solar-generated electricity. The principal motivator for countries to embrace the use of solar energy lies in cleanliness compared to other sources of energy. Principal sources of energy such as a coil, fossil fuels and petroleum have been in use for centuries and account for an overwhelming majority of energy consumed globally. However, their polluting nature has made many countries shift to the generation and consumption of solar power as an alternative to the conventional sources (Banoni et al. 2012). The increased use of solar energy has also been as a result of the need for these countries to diversify their sources of power in the wake of unstable prices for traditional sources. This is meant to not only offer constant supply source of energy but also to protect them from the 'manipulations' by countries that have been the major suppliers of products such as oil (Hossain 2015; Banoni et al. 2012). As a consequence, more states are adopting alternative home-grown solutions by tapping on the readily available source of energy from the sun.

Even more compelling is the issue of global climate change. Although some controversy remains in some quarters on how to tackle climate change, many countries have acknowledged the need to reduce greenhouse emissions. As such, returning to renewable sources of energy is seen as the best option to available in mitigating climate change because it is an excellent approach of meeting energy demand of future generations in a sustainable manner (Owusu and Asumadu-Sarkode 2016). Accordingly, proponents of a return to renewable sources of energy content that an alternative approach to the generation of energy will engender more sustainable energy consumption, avoid price hikes by leading suppliers of electricity, help support future growth of global economies, and ultimately actualize the efforts seeking to slow the progression of global warming (Banoni et al. 2012). Thus, the shift to the solar is motivated by a host of systemic factors geared at making Earth a better place in the future.

Despite the widespread acceptance that solar power can play an essential part in supporting efforts of slowing down climate change, there is a significant disparity among countries and regions in embracing the use of solar power in their respective economies. Europe leads the pile in terms share of solar installation with a capacity of 43.7 per cent followed by Eat Asia with 35.3 per cent and North America comes third with 13. 2%. Africa occupies the last position on the pile. Regarding individual countries, Germany leads the pack with China, Japan, Italy, and the USA in that order. In Africa, South Africa, Reunion, Kenya and Uganda lead the way in that order in adopting the generation and use of solar as their sources of energy (World Energy Council 2018). In spite of the minimal adoption of solar energy in Africa, some countries in the continent have embraced the use of solar power as a significant choice for supplying electricity to their citizens. One such state is Mali.

The Case of Mali

Mali is a landlocked country located in West Africa with its borders surrounded by Algeria, Mauritania, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Niger and Ivory Coast. It is one of the largest countries in Africa, ranking position eight of the top states in the continent regarding land mass. The country has a population of 18.54 million people, and its primary economic activity is agriculture which is centred along river Niger (International Renewable Energy Agency 2018). Like many other countries, its commercial activities, and demographic characteristics play an influential role in driving energy consumption.

The Driving Force Behind the Adoption of Solar Energy Consumption in Mali

Government policy has played a crucial part in the installation and generation of solar power in Mali. Beginning mid-1990s, electrification became a prominent issue among policymakers of the Malian government. With the support of the government and non-governmental organisations, rural electrification rate of Mali increased from a paltry 1 per cent in 1995 to 15 per cent in 2015. The push for more citizen connections to the national grid initially relied upon diesel installations, but the polluting nature of these sources of energy saw an increase in demand for renewable sources of energy of energy to protect the country against environmental degradation (International Renewable Energy Agency 2018). Hence solar power, as one of the alternative sources of clean became in handy. As it can be observed, the global desire to combat climate change has played a part in the domestic energy polices of this country.

Cost is also another factor for the drive in adopting solar energy in Mali. Mali is a landlocked country and, as such, importations of the expenses of fossil fuels are high. The cost was driven higher as the government intensified efforts to connect more citizens to electricity. The volatile international market for fossil fuels and the politics associated with the global market motivated the country to adopt relatively cheaper alternatives. Due to the lower costs associated with solar installations, the supply of power through solar has become a priority in recent years (International Renewable Energy Agency 2018). The trend is in tandem with other developments in other parts of the world. As pointed out by Banoni et al. (2012), the quest for energy independence coupled with the rising costs of imports has been one of the leading drivers for the phenomenal rise in the adoption of renewables in many countries.

The heavily rural nature of Mali offers the motivation for the relevant organizations to drive for adoption of solar energy as the preferred source of energy in these areas. As of today, more three-quarters of people in Mali live in rural areas, and only 11.9 per cent of people in the rural areas are connected to electricity (The Word Bank 2018). Besides, the state-owned power supply agency is not as efficient as the people in the rural areas would expect it to be (International Renewable Energy Agency 2018). Considering these factors, solar power is seen as a reliable option for accessing electricity among the people living in rural areas. Generation of power from thermal and hydro sources is costly, yet it dominates the supply of energy in Mali (The World Bank 2018). Adding to the relatively cheaper cost of solar, power from solar is often considered and has been embraced by a majority of the rural residents. Therefore, generation of solar energy offers the best alternative regarding cost and accessibility for the majority of the citizens.

Mali is one of the hottest countries in the world and the country experiences supply of sunshine in most times of the day. The continuous amount of sunshine in the state allows the state to invest a lot in solar power.

Renewable Energy Sources

In Mali, there are main three sources of energy which mainly include Biogas, wind and Solar. In Mali, the dominant source of energy is biomass because it accounts for more than 80% of the energy consumed in Mali. The rapid population growth leads to the increase in demand of the use of forest products as a source of power and the overdependence on Biomass as the primary source of energy affected the country production level and GDP in general negatively. This was because it led to overexploitation of Forests and other natural vegetation at a very high speed causing a significant environmental degradation (Mali National Energy Policy, 2014). Due to overuse of natural resources, Mali lost 50% of its vegetation cover, and for the Government to minimize the exploitation of vegetation and forest cover, it had to formulate a policy that encourages the use of other sources of energy apart from wood fuel and biogas. According to the report produced by Lahmeyer Report, 2005, the use of wind energy has a positive environmental impact on the society.

Solar Photovoltaic (PV)

Mali has a very stable solar regime which is capable of producing 5-6kWh, m2.day. The Government of Mali requires its citizens to mainly use renewable sources of energy including solar photovoltaic systems (Belward et al., 2011). Solar energy is primarily produced to produce electricity to supplement other sources of power. It is provided through the use of PV Power Plants, Solar Home Systems and Hybrid Diesel-PV Systems. Since Mali has a scattered population and solar power is not majorly used for domestic purpose. This contributes to the decentralisation of electricity in rural areas and other urban centres (Luque and Hegedus, 2003). The government of Mali and other non-governmental organisation has put more effort into promoting the use of solar PV within its boundaries. The study of energy in 2005 discovered that solar PV is the best source of energy as compared to other renewable sources of energy. It, therefore, acts as the best alternative for fossil fuel power generation. It is a clean source of energy that does not produce greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide. Photovoltaic can be used off the grid to promote electrification of various villages, to power telecommunication equipment, refrigeration of medical drugs and electricity generation to power various households. It, therefore, replaces other nonrenewable sources of energy. The increase in the share of PV in Mali has a positive effect on the growth of the economy and environment in general.

The Need for the Adoption of Solar Power in Mali

PV power is required in Mali for both social and economic reasons. In Mali, power is mainly produced by fossils fuels and biogas. The demand for a clean source of power prompted for the use of solar power. The use of other sources of power or energy such as petroleum and diesel to generate electricity affects foreign currency reserve of the government of Mali. The increase in demand for power resulting from population increase and economic growth cannot be achieved with nonrenewable sources of energy alone. To overcome these challenges, the Government of Mali must advocate for the use of solar PV which was indicated in the study of renewable power in the Gambia. It was recommended as a significant source of energy required in increasing access to energy in rural areas and other regions to mitigate the effects of climate change although there were other studies which indicated that climate change also affects solar power. Various researchers investigated the impact of climate change on solar power. They included Bouraoui et al., 2013; Environ et al., 2011; Wild, Folini, Henschel, & Muller, 2015; Barbour, Burnett, Barbour, & Harrison, 2015. They discovered that climate change either increases...