AltGen participated in the first Africa Renewable Energy Leaders’ Summit (ARELS) in Nairobi, Kenya which took place on the 4th and 5th of April 2017 – with over 200 experts & representatives present at the summit from government, private sector, international development agencies and NGO’s.
Stakeholders from both the floor and the podium engaged in robust debate on various aspects of the RE industry.
Amongst the speakers was Eng. Joseph K Njoroge, Principal Secretary of the Kenyan Ministry of Energy and Petroleum whose message was to work together towards a future where energy is derived from renewable and sustainable sources, and affordable to all. Also in support of this vision was KAM (Kenya Association of Manufacturers) represented by Phyllis Wakiaga (CEO) who highlighted their support of RE as an enabler of energy efficiency and sustainability and contributing towards their bottom line: competitive pricing.
Danilla’s primary take-away from the gathering is that there is continued downward price pressure in the RE market in East Africa, with seemingly vast differences in the forward momentum of the developers present, with the most successful ones being those whose offerings are fit for purpose – I.E. they speak to their market with a well-priced and robust product that fill a need. And as Rita says – we cannot underestimate the importance of community centric mini grids in providing access to energy for all, since energy is the single most empowering enabler that we can be used to uplift indigent people on our continent.
