SolarPunk in Africa

[gcode]

Intersting article

You know that feeling when you're waiting for the cable guy, and they said 'between 8am and 6pm, and you waste your entire day, and they never show up?

Now imagine that, except the cable guy is 'electricity,' the day is '50 years,' and you're one of 600 million people. At some point, you stop waiting and figure it out yourself.

What's happening across Sub-Saharan Africa right now is the most ambitious infrastructure project in human history, except it's not being built by governments or utilities or World Bank consortiums. It's being built by startups selling solar panels to farmers on payment plans. And it's working.

Over 30 million solar products sold in 2024. 400,000 new solar installations every month across Africa. 50% market share captured by companies that didn't exist 15 years ago. Carbon credits subsidizing the cost. IoT chips in every device. 90%+ repayment rates on loans to people earning $2/day.

And if you understand what's happening in Africa, you understand the template for how infrastructure will get built everywhere else for the next 50 years.

[Jeff]

Carbon credits subsidizing the cost

[Newbeeee™]

Incoming big boots goobermint to "take control of this bad situation, and sort it all out"....

[gcode]

Incoming big boots goobermint

China is the defacto government in this part of the world

[Brian]

That was great! Thanks @gcode !

[jstell]

Check out the book The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.  True story about a home-made windmill, changing the lives of a family and village.  I guess there's a film of it too.