Africa–EU Renewable Energy Cooperation Programme

January 19, 2022

Ideas to save electricity

This time we will tell you some ideas to save electricity, so that you can reduce your consumption, benefiting financially and helping to preserve the planet for much longer.

10 ideas to save electricity

There are several ideas to save electricity that can be useful and easy to put into practice to reduce the amount of your bill and help protect the environment.

1. Use electric light only when necessary. Try to use it at night, in dark rooms or places that really need it and make the most of daylight to reduce electricity consumption.
2. Turn on your air conditioning or fans only when you need it and always try to turn them off when you leave, in this way you will avoid consuming electricity excessively and unnecessarily.
3. Remember to unplug all your electrical devices when you are not using them, since these usually consume energy even when they are not turned on.
4. If you have modern devices, access the configuration and select the energy saving mode, this helps reduce consumption without affecting the quality of the device’s performance.
You can usually find this power saving mode on TVs, computers, mobile phones, and more.
5. Avoid falling asleep with the television on, as it can spend many hours consuming energy unnecessarily.
Instead, it is recommended that you program a period so that after that time it turns off automatically.
6. Avoid leaving the lights on, for example the one in the bathroom.
In some homes they tend to leave the bathroom light permanently on, during the day and at night, however, this is unnecessary and only generates expenses.
7. Regulates the use of devices such as printers and photocopiers, since these tend to consume too much electricity and produce paper that can sometimes be avoided.
Ideally, use digital versions whenever possible and only print or photocopy when necessary.
8. Connect a power strip for your computer, modem, speakers and printer, so that consumption is lower. Using this type of tool is very useful, since many of them reduce consumption considerably.
9. Replace the traditional light bulbs in your home with savers, since these reduce energy consumption by more than 80%, generate less heat and have a much longer useful life.
Although energy saving light bulbs can be more expensive than traditional ones, they last much longer and offer great benefits in comparison.
10. Before going to sleep, you can check that the refrigerator doors are properly closed, the lights are off, appliances are unplugged and more, in this way you can reduce energy consumption considerably.

Alternatives to save electricity

In addition to the small daily activities that you can put into practice to reduce electricity consumption, there are some other alternatives that can be useful.

Solar panels

Using clean energy sources is undoubtedly a viable alternative for reducing energy consumption, as well as benefiting the environment.

Solar panels capture the light radiated by the sun and transform it into sustainable energy that human beings can use in their daily lives, in addition, it can be stored for use at night, when the sun no longer emits light.

Windmills

Windmills can take advantage of the strength of this element and transform it into wind energy that can be used in people’s homes to carry out their daily activities, reducing the consumption of traditional electricity and the pollution that can be generated from it.

These are excellent alternatives, especially if the wind is rife where you live or the sun shines directly on your home. If you want to know more about the use of electricity and other renewable and non-renewable resources on the African continent, we invite you to read other articles that are already available on our blog and may be of interest to you. Don’t miss them.

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July 8, 2021

How does the energy sector work in Nigeria?

If you are wondering how the energy sector works in Nigeria, let us tell you that in reality this service was previously difficult to access for most of its inhabitants, however today, after much government effort, this reality is gradually changing. and offering greater accessibility for the nation’s population.

Nigeria, betting on a better future in the energy sector

In 2021, the World Bank approved an aid of 500 million dollars that would allow Nigeria to improve the electricity distribution sector in its country, this project aims to increase access to electricity for the entire population and improve the performance of companies that facilitate electricity distribution, through a large-scale program in terms of electricity.

43% of the population in Nigeria does not have access to electricity, this is equivalent to almost 85 million people, which makes this country one of the countries with the greatest deficit in access to this service in the world.

According to the World Bank, the problems of the energy system presented by this and other countries have a great impact both on the performance of the daily life of its citizens and on the companies that make life in the nation and can generate annual losses that equal to millions of dollars.

According to the country director at the World Bank, it is necessary to improve the access and reliability of the electricity system in most of the world, with the idea of ​​being able to reduce poverty and help with economic growth, especially after having gone through the global pandemic generated by covid-19.

If you want to know more about the use of electricity and other renewable and non-renewable resources on the African continent, we invite you to read other articles that are already available on our blog and may be of interest to you. Don’t miss them.

He also pointed out that the operation will help improve the financial investment of the companies that provide electricity distribution services in Nigeria, increasing income in the entire sector and improving the quality of life for the population, in addition this will indirectly produce a decrease in investment of fiscal resources of the country and will generate a greater source of jobs.

This entire initiative is carried out through the Nigerian Electricity Sector Recovery Program or DISRP as its acronym indicates, which aims to guarantee that the country’s electricity distribution companies improve their performance, increase their reach and install the largest possible number of electricity meters to ensure the quality of service provision.

In addition to this, the program aims to reduce CO2 emissions, reducing technical loss, increasing the efficiency of the energy service and investing in renewable energy sources that can help provide a sustainable service that is more easily accessible to the entire population. population.

It is more than clear that this initiative will not be easy to carry out and will probably take several years to materialize, however, it is a movement that is committed to having a great impact and scope in the country.

In addition, it is necessary to take into account that the economy in Nigeria depends mostly on oil, which represents more than 95% of income in terms of exports and 65% of what the government receives.

This is due to the fact that Nigeria also has the largest natural gas reserves in Africa, however, it is not exactly a highly developed country, so the infrastructures that are oriented to the extraction and distribution of this resource are very scarce.

In this sense, a similar situation occurs with the service and distribution of electrical energy, for which various African organizations have committed to participate and help increase improvements in terms of energy aspects in the country.

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April 2, 2021

Renewable and non-renewable resources

Do you know what renewable and non-renewable resources are? Find out in this interesting article in which we will talk about it in detail.

What are renewable and non-renewable resources?

Natural elements can be classified as renewable and non-renewable resources, however it is essential that you know that natural resources are all those that make up the environment and that can be used by humans to meet their needs.

Renewable resources are those that, despite being used countless times, do not run out, such as solar or wind energy.

Non-renewable resources, on the other hand, are made up of those of which there is a limited amount on the planet and that would take millions of years to replace, such as fossil fuels.

Some examples of renewable resources are the sun, water, air, animals and plants, while non-renewable resources are represented by minerals and fossil fuels.

If you want to know more about the use of electricity and other renewable and non-renewable resources on the African continent, we invite you to read other articles that are already available on our blog and may be of interest to you. Don’t miss them.

Knowing renewable resources

Water

It is one of the most important natural resources for human beings and life on earth and can be found in the seas, oceans, rivers, lakes, surface water, groundwater and more.

From water it is possible to obtain usable elements for human beings, not only in a traditional way, but also by converting it into tidal and hydraulic

Energy

Tidal energy or kinetic energy is obtained from the movement generated by the tides and waves in the seas and oceans, which is taken to a power station that allows it to be channeled and distributed in the form of electrical energy.

For its part, hydraulic energy takes advantage of the potential of the flow of rivers and streams to transform them into electrical energy by passing through a turbine.

Sun

The Sun has been known since ancient times as a star of great importance for the planet earth and life, it provides energy through radiation represented in the form of light and heat.

From the sun it is possible to obtain thermal and photovoltaic energy, the first converts the heat generated by the sun into electrical energy through mirror panels or parabolic, while the second converts sunlight directly into electricity.

Wind

Wind is a force that is generated in the environment, helping to carry out various processes and that can be converted into electricity through the use of resources known as windmills.

Biomass

Biomass is known as all forest resources, agricultural waste and garbage that is generated on the planet, from which certain energy can be produced using processes that convert it into fuel.

In addition, it is worth mentioning geothermal energy, which allows the conversion of the heat generated inside the earth by the presence of a resource that can be used by humans.

Non-renewable resources

As mentioned before, non-renewable resources are made up of elements of which there is a limited amount, such as minerals and fossil fuels.

In this sense, although these resources have been used for energy production, alternative sources are currently used that can last and be sustainable over time, in addition to preventing pollution from being generated.

Nuclear energy

Also called fission, it occurs when a nucleus is bombarded with neutrons and it splits in two. The energy that is released when breaking the nucleus of a uranium atom is what the human being takes advantage of.

Fossil fuel

This energy comes from the process of burning coal, oil, and natural gas to convert it into electricity.

Mineral resources

It is generated from the transformation of metalliferous and non-metalliferous mineral resources.

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November 12, 2020

Renewable energy cooperation program in Africa

The Renewable Energy Cooperation Program in Africa is an initiative that aims to bring to each nation, sector and home the electrical service so necessary for daily life, using alternative and non-polluting sources.

Operation of the Renewable Energy Cooperation Program in Africa

The Renewable Energy Cooperation Program can transform the reality of Africa, where more than half of the population lacks access to electricity, according to the executive director of the United Nations environment program.

Steiner, during a visit to the slums of the capital, stressed that solar energy is a growing source in Kenya, with the potential to offer a cost-effective solution for household energy connectivity.

In his own words, he pointed out that it is not only an opportunity for direct access to services since we cannot wait another 50 years for everyone to be able to connect to the renewable energy grid, but it also has the wonderful advantage that it consists of a single lamppost and are built outside.

This is why Steiner believes that renewable energy is the key to success in the contribution of renewable energies. The use and access to these services has increased from 5.4% in 2000 to the current 20%.

With this initiative and its generation capacity, energy is produced through geothermal, hydraulic and thermal sources that are less polluting and easier to access for the African population.

If you want to know more about the use of electricity and other renewable and non-renewable resources on the African continent, we invite you to read other articles that are already available on our blog and may be of interest to you. Don’t miss them.

Kenya, promoter country of the Renewable Energy Cooperation Program in Africa

The inclement sun illuminates countries like Kenya who take advantage of these advantages through their electrical network.

Both the residents and the activists have been able to take advantage of this natural resource for the country, becoming one of the main promoters of the solar energy movement in Africa.

Currently, builders around the country have made sure to install solar panels in new buildings that allow them to harness this type of energy to supply the service in Kenyan homes and businesses.

In addition, the panels are manufactured in the country and the price of their installation is approximately $800 per unit. Although it may seem somewhat expensive, the Kenyan government offers subsidies for its acquisition and the benefits are much greater for the residents, especially in terms of consumption savings, which is even equivalent to 50% compared to traditional energy consumption.

This allows villagers to have water during the day and night without even turning on the system, they can even use the system to heat water, take showers and more.

Kenya plans to finance this type of solar panel service in businesses such as markets and spaces such as schools and even in areas disconnected from the traditional electricity grid so that they can have access to it.

According to the Kenyan authorities, promoting this project could help stabilize the traditional electricity service that is operating in parallel in the country and would become an alternative to take advantage of the inclement sun that is imposed daily on the nation.

In addition, it would be an alternative so that places where the energy network does not provide service on a regular basis, could also enjoy the comforts that having electricity implies.

Every day, more African countries join the Renewable Energy Cooperation Program in Africa, making the most of natural resources and enjoying electricity service that does not generate pollutants that can affect the environment and the health of the inhabitants.

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