Spotted: Many African countries receive more than 2,500 hours of sunshine per year, making the continent an ideal location for solar energy power. As the number of providers grows, so too does access to renewable energy sources. Nigerian-based Starsight Energy expanded into three east African countries before merging with South African company SolarAfrica. The new combined business now covers three sizeable areas of the continent and has plans to develop further.  

Tailored solar energy solutions provided by the company include a complete audit of an organisation’s power and cooling needs and a custom-designed installation. One of the main selling points of solar energy on the continent is its reliability combined with the lack of dramatic price fluctuations diesel customers contend with. Starsight says that its customers receive full power 99 per cent of the time. Depending on local conditions, the solar arrays can be on- or off-grid as best suits the situation.

To help make it easier for businesses of all sizes to afford the switch to renewable energy, customers pay no money upfront. Instead, clients pay a set monthly fee that includes all analysis, set-up, monitoring, and support services. Contract lengths vary with a minimum of five years. For businesses requiring energy at night, Starsight provides standby generators for sites requiring particularly heavy power loads as well as a Power-as-a-Service battery storage option.

The application of solar energy is expanding, with Springwise spotting innovations such as greenhouse solar systems that use wavelengths of light that plants cannot use, and solar cells printed onto construction steel for integrated energy generation.  

Written By: Keely Khoury