Renewable Energy Communities in Africa: A Case Study of Five Selected Countries

Abstract

It is claimed that the success of Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) depends on sound policies that provide security to community investments and investors, as well as reliable sources of funding, good community organization, and how the community is governed. These elements facilitate the participation of the citizen and are key to the growth and survivability of any REC. It is further claimed that sound policies can drive novel and viable business models, innovative financing and remuneration schemes, the adoption of smart technologies, social acceptance, and, most importantly, increase in citizen participation. In Africa today, RECs are in their infancy stages of development and require immense attention. To better understand and characterize how RECs in Africa are developing, a systematic literature review is carried out on five selected cases located in South Africa, Malawi, Cameroun, Togo, and the Ivory Coast. The study aims to analyze how governmental policies, organizational structures, types of governance, ownership schemes, sources of funding, the composition of the communities, and types of renewable energy resources (RER), are facilitating the development of these RECs in Africa. How value is created and shared amongst members of the community is also considered. The findings of this study show that RECs in Africa are faced with the challenges, of inadequate governmental policy frameworks, unsustainable financial models, and low community ownership, and the dominant RERs are solar and biogas. Other findings include low levels of citizen engagement, participation, and knowledge about RECs.