AFSIA Solar Awards 2023: solar professionals nominated for the 4th edition

The past year has seen a number of successful solar energy projects in Africa. The most outstanding players took part in the AFSIA Solar Awards 2023. This is an initiative by the African Solar Industry Association (AFSIA) to reward the best players and projects in the solar energy sector in Africa.

Here are the professionals nominated in 13 categories:

1. Utility-scale solar project of the year:

• The 7.5 MW Gitega solar photovoltaic power plant by Gigawatt Global Cooperatief U.A (Burundi).
• The Biopio (188 MWp) and Baia Farta (96 MWp) solar photovoltaic power plants by Dar Al-Handasah Consultants (Shair and Partners) (Angola).

2. C&I solar project of the year :

• The 36 MW hybrid solar power plant for the Sukari gold mine in Egypt by Juwi Renewable Energies (pty) Ltd (Egypt)
• The 11.25 MWp solar photovoltaic plant at the Balama graphite mine by Solarcentury Africa
• 6 MW solar power plant at Abyssinia Steel by Spenomatic Solar Ltd

3. Mini-grid solar project of the year :

• 6 kWp Bagira mini-grid in South Kivu by GoShop Energy (DRC)
• The 362kWp photovoltaic power plant in Toto by PowerGen Renewable Energy
• The 1.86 MWp in 12 villages with 3.6 MWh of MG battery storage by “Les Soleils du Bénin” (SdB) (Benin)

4. SHS Company of the Year:

• Moon has provided an innovative and long-term sustainable service business model. nearly 20,000 households that could not access the PAYG system are now equipped and supported on an ongoing basis.
• Solar Panda has developed a membership pricing model, launched a not-for-profit educational initiative and set about finding solutions to the problem of e-waste.
• Solar Sister has had a ripple effect on local women, their families, as well as customers and communities switching to clean energy. Impact to date:

°More than 4.3 million people have benefited from clean energy products

°More than 10,000 local women entrepreneurs

°More than $300 million in economic spin-offs in off-grid communities

°Mitigation of more than 1,100,000 metric tonnes of C0 2 emissions

5. Productive use of the year’s application :

• Creation and operation of captive solar food preservation facility by All in Trade Limited
• Innovative electric cargo bikes with refrigeration capabilities use solar energy to power ThinkBikes’ refrigeration units
• Tailor-made li-ion solar batteries power the Hambas (electric three-wheelers with a load capacity of 400 kg) over a distance of 100 km and are used by Mobility for Africa’s small-scale farmers.

6.African solar company of the year:

• SolarAfrica expanded its portfolio to more than 155 projects in Southern Africa, providing more than 77 MW of solar power and an additional 375 MW under commercial solar power purchase agreements.
• Solarise Africa’s solar capacity has grown from 8,286.50 MWp in 2022 to 12,681.07 MWp in 2023, representing an impressive growth rate of 53%.
• Spenomatic Solar has been able to install 58.56 MW of photovoltaic solutions across East Africa in just 5 years.

7. Entrepreneur/SME of the year in the field of solar energy in Africa:

• Zasolar has installed 25 stand-alone solar kits that power Starlink Internet devices to provide Internet services to hospitals and schools in rural areas.
• Bako Entreprises focuses on the supervision, promotion and management of green energy projects while expanding its range of projects.
• USAFI GREEN ENERGY for its partnership with Namene solar and Solstars to supply solar computer systems to schools and 50,000 portable solar torches to end-users.

8. Advisor/consultant of the year (financial/legal/technical) :

• SgurrEnergy for providing technical advice to NNREC, which has embarked on a 20 x 100 MW solar PV project spread across several sites in Nigeria.
• GreenMax supports the Clean Energy and Energy Inclusion For Africa(CEI Africa) to deploy the FRB, debt and technical assistance to GMGs, SHSs and PUE companies in Africa.
• Chloride Exide for providing technical advice on the first Agrivoltaics projects at the Latia Agribusiness Centre and Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania in Kenya and Tanzania.

9. Deal/Financing programme of the year:

• Stella’s funding structure includes equity, donor grants, and DRBs to unlock a pipeline of 374 healthcare facilities under the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) by STELLA FUTURA LIMITED.
• Nuru’s USD 40 million Series B equity financing
• Sun King’s $130 million sustainable securitisation transaction

 10. Solar innovation of the year:

• Connecting more than 325 solar projects between independent solar installers and solar companies using an innovative freelancing platform from Instollar.
• An AI-driven loan to solar energy companies finances both large international distributors and small local businesses through Nithio.
• Solar-powered cooking boiler replacing wood-fired boilers in rural schools by Ecobora

11. Solar photo of the year :

• Aptech Afrique
• Aress SAS
• Cross-border energy

12. Solar video of the year :

• Ariya Finergy
• Stella Futura
• Moon

13. Lifetime Achievement Award :

• Ayoola Dominic, CEO of Koolboks
• Mark Hankins, consultant and financial advisor
• Terje Osmundsen, CEO and founder of Empower New Energy

The winners of the AFSIA Solar Awards 2023 will be announced at the Renewable Energy Forum Africa (REFA). The event, held in Nairobi, Kenya, from 4 to 6 October, brings together financiers, project developers, equipment manufacturers and government representatives to discuss renewable energies, including the emerging green hydrogen sector.

Jean Marie Takouleu