In February, ideas into energy launched a project with the Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria (REAN) and numerous other partners from Nigeria and Germany to promote the spread of PV diesel hybrid solutions in Nigeria.

Nigeria is Africa's most populous country and the continent’s third largest economy. Nearly half of Nigerian citizens live in cities and have a high demand for energy. However, only 40% of urban and 10% of rural residents have access to reliable electricity from the grid. It is common that residents that don’t have access to reliable energy from the grid use diesel generators instead.

The energy mix, of which oil and gas has had the largest share to date, is set to be diversified by including a mix of renewable energies. There is much potential to succeed in this, and the high levels of solar radiation make PV solutions particularly attractive in Nigeria. These decentralized electricity production solutions, are often the more economically viable solutions in comparison to diesel and gasoline generators. As prices for PV components continue to fall this trend may become even more pronounced, especially if Nigeria’s current exchange rate and foreign exchange problems are resolved.

This is where the project becomes relevant, as it wants to provide a free online information portal by the end of April. It will include:

- basic information about PV as a reliable solution for power supply,

- sample projects of diesel-PV-hybrid plants that have been successfully realized in Nigeria and other regions of Africa,

- an interactive online tool that will calculate the profitability of PV investments,

- a list of qualified EPCs that can plan and install these solutions,

- a telephone hotline for further questions, which will be independently supported by REAN.