Solar Energy in Africa - An Overview, with a Focus on Egypt

More than 85% of Africa’s land area receives a high amount of solar energy, at least 2,000 kWh/m2 per year, making it the most sunlit continent on the planet. Despite having the potential to produce 40% of the world’s solar power, Africa currently contributes only 1.48% of the total global capacity for electricity production from solar energy. Many African counties currently focus on transforming their fossil-fuel powered electricity sector into a low-carbon system to reduce their CO2 emissions and therefore solve the climate change problem. The aim of this paper is to present the current situation and future outlook of solar energy in Africa, focusing on Egypt. Egypt has a great opportunity for solar energy development, as it receives a high amount of solar radiation throughout the year, ranging from 9 to 11 h per day. It also hosts one of the largest solar energy projects in the world, the Benban Solar Park in Aswan.