Joining hands through sustainable energy for sustainable livelihoods

The Newsletter of AORA Solar North America LLCVol.#1 - January 2015

In this issue:

1AORA Africa Overview

3In the News: AORA to provide first solar-biogas hybrid power solution for off-grid communities in Africa

4Solar Snippets:• Electricity from

Waste in Ethiopia• CSP trends• Ask Zev

The MarketAfrica is one of the fastest-growing regions in the world, with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP)averaging between 6.6% and 3.1% growth over the past 10 years (African Economic Outlook, 2014) and a population expected to reach 1.9 billion by 2050 (World Population Review, 2014). However, only 42.6% of Africans have access to electricity. The figure stands at 31.8% for Sub-Saharan Africa, which represents approximately 599 million people who do not have access to electricity (World Energy Outlook, 2013).

Large-scale energy investment, which is cost-effective, sustainable and utilizes locally available resources, is urgently needed in Africa. If the current trend were to continue, the number of people without access to electricity is expected to increase to 655 million by 2050 (IRENA, Africa’s Renewable Future: The Path to Sustainable Growth, 2013). The continent does, however, have vast potential for renewable energy,

particularly solar, hydro and geothermal power.

With the exception of South Africa, 81% of Sub-Saharan Africans currently meet their energy needs from biomass (Biomass Potential in Africa, IRENA, 2013). This, however, is a very inefficient energy source, and also results in negative environmental effects such as deforestation. Investment in clean renewable energy is required to reduce reliance on biomass fuel. A possible solution is biogas, which is a significantly more efficient use of biomass that also has positive environmental effects, such as the capture and destruction of the greenhouse gas methane.

Energy is a key pre-requisite for development. Having access to energy for households, businesses and institutions leads to improved living standards, livelihoods, service delivery, as well as improved education and security. Electricity is thus a key driver for the development of the continent.

AORA Africa Overview

The TulipAORA Solar’s innovative solar-hybrid Tulip technology is designed to provide clean and reliable energy for Africa to meet its development needs.The system isunique in that it supplies uninterrupted green power 24 hours a day in all weather. Each Tulip produces 100 kW of electricity and 170 kW of heat energy as a by-product, making it well-suited for off-grid applications

In addition to solar energy the Tulip is powered by an alternative heat source when sunlight is not available. The fuel can be biogas or bio-fuel, which can be obtained from substrates as diverse as animal waste and molasses.

The Tulip also has several additional benefits which make it uniquely suited for Africa. It is modular, with each unit capable of powering a village/small town. Once the community grows and outstrips supply, a second unit can be easily added. The installation time is also very short at 6 months, meaning returns on investment can begin almost immediately.

Some components of the Tulip could be produced locally, depending on manufacturing capacity, helping to create employment opportunities.

Each unit is small in size, occupying only 3,500m2 of land – a fraction of the space needed for PV solar – and the set-up can be tailored for precise power needs.

In addition to electricity, the Tulip produces170kWof heat energy as a by-product, which can be used for many applications, including heating water for domestic, industrial and institutional use, or for “absorption refrigeration” of medicines, agriculture and livestock processing.

AORA Developments in Africa• AORA is currently in the process

of rolling out the Tulip in Africa, working to establish plants in Ethiopia, as well as exploring opportunities in other countries such as Zimbabwe and Kenya.

• AORA recognizes the importance of continental and regional bodies in the process of meeting Africa’s energy demand needs. To that end, AORA has been in contact with the African Union Commission (AUC) and is establishing links with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Centre for Regional Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) and with the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC).

• AORA aims to work with strategic partners, building on progress made to date by African Institutions, and to foster African ownership of the technology by promoting knowledge sharing and technology transfer in the field and at university level.

AORA Senior Vice President – Africa, J. Barry Kulick (bottom left) with the AUC Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, H.E. Dr. Elham Ibrahim (bottom right).

• AORA participated in the 2nd High Level Meeting of the Africa-EU Energy Partnership, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, February 11 – 13, 2014, where the technology attracted considerable interest. During this visit, AORA met with H.E. Dr. Elham Ibrahim, AUC Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, who provided helpful ideas on how the AORA Tulip could be utilized in addressing energy needs across the continent.

• In late March, during a follow-up visit to Addis Ababa, AORA held meetings with H.E. Alemayehu Tegenu, Ethiopian Minister for Water, Irrigation and Energy, resulting in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry and AORA Solar Ltd. to undertake a pilot installation of the AORA Tulip technology in Ethiopia.

• In June 2014, the AORA team participated in the US-Africa Energy Ministerial, also in Addis Ababa. Discussions held during and subsequent to the event have led to an emerging partnership between AORA and Power Africa in several focus countries, including Ethiopia.

• Additionally, a Technical Committee has been established comprised of Ethiopian Government and AORA representatives, and a first meeting, chaired by the Minister of State for Energy, HE Wondimu Tekle, was held in Addis Ababa onSeptember 2, 2014. The meeting was attended by high level representatives of the Ministry as well as Power Africa and AORA. The key outcome of the meeting was agreement and a plan to jointly proceedwitha pre-feasibility study to identify potential sites as the final step towards conducting a full feasibility study, which is expected to commence in January 2015, with construction slated to begin by mid-2015.

December 2, 2014 – ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia & WASHINGTON, D.C.

AORA Solar North America LLC (www.aora-solar.com), a leading developer of solar-biogas hybrid power technology, today announced it has met with the Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Energy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (www.mowr.gov.et), to plan the construction of an initial pilot of AORA’s Tulip™ solar-hybrid power plant. The meeting follows the March signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the parties.

The project is tied to Ethiopia’s Climate-Resilient Green Economy Strategy, in which the country aims to enhance access to affordable and environmentally friendly renewable energy. The goal is to provide adequate uninterruptible and grid independent power to support the achievement of middle-income status by 2025 while developing a green economy.

“We are transforming our Green Economy Strategy into action and are

pleased to partner with AORA to help achieve our vision,” said H.E. Mr. Alemayehu Tegenu, Minister of Water, Irrigation and Energy for Ethiopia. “AORA’s unique solar-hybrid technology is impressive and well-suited to provide both energy and heat to support local economic development in off-grid rural locations in Ethiopia.”

Construction of the first pilot plant is expected to begin by mid-2015. Following the trial, the Ministry intends to expand deployment of AORA installations for rural economic development to off-grid communities in selected areas of the country. The AORA Tulip technology requires less land per kWh to generate usable power and heat than other systems. Each Tulip station is small and modular, producing 100kW of electricity in addition to 170kW of heat, while occupying less than 3,500 square meters (0.86 acres).

AORA’s technology runs not only on solar radiation, but also on almost any

gaseous or liquid fuel, including biogas, biodiesel and natural gas. This enables a variety of operational modes – from solar-only mode, where electricity is supplied from ample sunlight, to hybrid-mode, where fuel helps generate full power when sunlight is insufficient, to fuel-only mode during night hours or heavily overcast periods. This guarantees an uninterrupted and stable power supply 24 hours a day in all weather conditions.

“We are pleased to partner with the Ministry and look forward to bringing our technology to Ethiopia to provide the population with affordable access to power,” said Zev Rosenzweig, CEO of AORA. “Such access will have significant social and economic impact on off-grid communities, helping to provide power to schools and medical facilities, refrigeration for food processing and post-harvest storage, groundwater pumping and much more.

AORA to provide first solar-biogas hybrid power solution for off-grid communities in Africa

Ethiopian Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Energy Meets with AORA Solar Ahead of Deployment of its Tulip™ Technology

Solar Snippets

The generation and distribution of energy allows for the growth of small and medium sized businesses, such as this one in Juba, South Sudan. (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_business_in_South_Sudan_benefiting_from_microfinance_%286189731244%29.jpg)

Electricity from Waste in EthiopiaThe Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCO) is planning to produce 50MW of power out of the 1500m3 of refuse Addis Ababa accumulates at the Repi Waste disposal site daily. 75 tonnes will be used for power generation. Metal and Engineering Corporation (MetEc) has signed an MoU with the Addis Ababa city administration and EEPCO to produce 100 MW of electricity from the waste.

An India-based company, Allana Group, is investing US$20 million to build a meat processing plant on a 75 acre site provided by the Ethiopian Government, with its waste being streamed for biogas generation and animal feed as part of the agreement.

DP Cleantech (DPCT) has formalized a partnership with Addis Ababa-based Cambridge Industries Ltd (CIL), to facilitate the rollout of biomass and waste-to-energy projects in Africa. DP Cleantech’s all-dry flue gas treatment

technology will be used to meet the strict EU-standard emission limits required by the Ethiopian government.

Sources: Tigrai Online: http://www.tigraionline.com/articles/article120607 5th June, 2012

Ethiopian Opinion: http://www.ethiopianopinion.com/metec-to-produce-100mw-electric-power-from-waste/ 8th June, 2014

Thomas Saidak, Biofuels Digest: http://www.biofuelsdigest.com/bdigest/2014/01/13/allana-group-to-build-meat-packing-plant-in-ethiopia-and-will-use-waste-to-generate-biogas/ 13th January, 2014

DP Cleantech: http://www.dpcleantech.com/medias/news/dp-cleantech-acquires-new-partner-to-develop-waste-to-energy-and-biomass-plants-in-africa 27 January, 2014.

CSP trends• Projections indicate that the share

of renewables in Africa’s power mix will rise from 1% today to 22% in 2040, with solar power making up more than half of this expansion.

• Installed solar capacity in sub-Saharan Africa has increased from 40MW in 2010 to 230 MW in 2013.

• It is projected that solar power will account for 12% of total electricity generation capacity of Africa by 2040, the equivalent of 15GW.

• It is projected that sub-Saharan Africa’s solar power instalments will exceed 6GW by 2020 and 45GW by 2040, led by investments in South Africa and Nigeria. A quarter of that new investment is projected to be in CSP.

Solar capacity additions are projected to rise from around 0.9 GW on average per year until 2020, and increase to 2.2 GW per year on average thereafter.

(source: Africa Energy Outlook: A Focus on Energy Prospects in Sub-Saharan Africa, International Energy Agency, 2014)

For further information please contact J. Barry Kulick, Senior Vice President - Africa (j.barry.kulick@aora-solar.com)The Tulip is produced and distributed by AORA Solar North America LLC

Written and edited by: Nottawasaga Institute, Nairobi, Kenya (info@nottawasaga.net)Design and layout by: Ecomedia, Nairobi, Kenya (info@ecomedia.co.ke)

©AORA Solar North America LLC 2015

Ask Zev

Question: A key concern about renewable power installations as compared to traditional power sources is cost. Is the cost of the Tulip cheaper than or as cost effective as photovoltaic (PV) cells and batteries?

Zev replies: PV is a cheap technology, but once you add the cost of batteries - especially when you get to megawatt batteries - it becomes significantly more expensive, so we are very competitive with PV tied with battery storage or PV tied to a diesel generator for providing power during non-solar hours.

Question: There are a lot of start-ups out there in this field, some say they have game changing technology, but 99.9% of them are going to fail. Why will you be in the 0.1%?

Zev replies: Well now the best reason is because we are the only ones that have working prototypes, and they have been working for a number of years. In the beginning we experienced a lot of problems. We have now overcome them and we now have a configuration that has been operating consistently well. And I think that is what puts us ahead of the pack.

You can ask Zev further questions by e-mailing info@aora-solar.com