Housing in Southern Africa July 2015

Energy Efficiency, Green Building & IBTs

Bringing power to SA

R EC, the largest European brand of solar panels, is entering numerousmarkets in Africa, be- ginningwith East and South African re- gions. With solar power uptake on the African continent predicted to surge over the coming years – 100 gigawatts (GW) of solar installations forecasted by 2030. REC is confident that with its combination of high performing solar panels, the established REC Partner Program, plus training expertise for lo- cal solar professionals, the company is in an excellent starting position as the solar industry gathers pace in Africa. As industry expands and populations grow, so does the need for energy, and the high irradiation levels across Africa put solar in pole position as a potential source. With over 600million people on the continent lacking ac- cess to power grids, local solar energy projects will give communities clean, affordable power without the need for large-scale, public-funded investment in grid infrastructures. There are also moves in the region to reduce fossil fuel subsi- dies, which in the past had a dis- torting effect on competitiveness. The prospect of higher retail prices for fossil fuel-based energy will act as a further incentive to go solar. Some countries have already set their sights on increasing renewable energy sources: Ghana, for instance, aims to

meet 10% of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2020. Reflect- ing the demand for solar energy, REC forecasts 75-100 megawatts (MW) to be installed in the utility segment in 2016 in Ghana, 10 MW in commercial and 1-2 MW in residential. Luc Graré, Senior Vice President of the East and South African regions at REC, describes the outlook and chal- lenges ahead: “Africa’s greatest growth challenge is energy, and there’s a serious need to quickly get additional generation capacity in place to meet increasing energy demands. We ex- pect around 100 GW of solar panels to be installed in the region by 2030, with residential markets and turnkey solutions offering particularly good opportunities.” “However, financing of investments is generally critical, so it’s vital to choose a supplier that is highly bank- able. As the financially most stable solar panel manufacturer worldwide, our customers can rely on REC’s sustainable business. Our long-term success is based on highly reliable REC solar panels, even in the harshest climate conditions.” REC will begin by opening regional hubs in the East and South African regions. To accommodate the mar- kets’ demand for small-scale off-grid power generation systems, REC will be offering kit solutions for residential

installations and solar hybridboxes for 20-50kW installations. The company also plans to intro- duce the programs and structures that have made its business so successful around the world – for instance, by establishing a network of RECdistribu- tors as part of its successful Partner Program. REC is also setting up the REC Academy, a new service to train distributors, who will in turn train local solar professionals and seed REC’s long-standing experience and expertise into the region. The company will participate in the South African Solar Show next year, one of the major events. Munich, Germany – June 25, 2015: REC, the largest European brand of solar panels, is entering numerous markets in Africa, beginningwith ECOWAS, East and South African regions. With solar power uptake on the Afri- can continent predicted to surge over the coming years – 100 gigawatts (GW) of solar installations are forecasted by 2030. REC is confident that with its com- bination of high performing solar panels, the established REC Partner Program, plus training expertise for lo- cal solar professionals, the company is in an excellent starting position as the solar industry in Africa gathers pace. For further information go to www.recgroup.com ■

July 2015