Sustainability of decentralized renewable energy systems in Sub-Saharan Africa

The African continent accounts for approximately 49% of the global population without access to electricity. An estimated 621 million of this population live in the Sub-Saharan region. Although many countries in this region have significantly improved electrification rates in the past three years, challenges with existing grid capacity, uptake of decentralized renewable energy systems (DRES) and an increase in households requiring electrification have subdued the projected social and economic development benefits. This paper examines these challenges and identifies key strategies in accelerating growth of sustainable DRESs. Governmental policies and strategies are also analyzed together with selected DRES initiatives in Africa.