Newsletter #3 | Making Microgrids Affordable in Rural Africa
In February, we proudly released the third edition of the AfricaEnergyParks Newsletter, highlighting the hybrid microgrid vision behind the project.
This edition features an insightful piece by Zahra Esfahani, Assistant Professor at Aarhus University, on the main barrier in many rural African communities: not the absence of clean-energy technologies, but the difficulty of deploying and operating them at a stable, affordable cost as local demand changes over time.
The research-to-implementation approach was presented by Alireza Derakhsh, from Africa GreenTec, in November 2025 at the IEE PES Conference in Dubai under the paper “LCoE Reduction in African Off-Grid Rural Microgrids: a Systematic Approach Using DSM and Innovative BCHP Integration”.
There is also an overview of upcoming events focused on energy, technology and sustainability:
- Solar Power Africa 2026 (Cape Town, South Africa – March 3-5, 2026)
- Africa Energy Indaba 2026 (Cape Town, South Africa – March 3-5, 2026)
- Africa Energy Technology Conference 2026 (Accra, Ghana – May 19-21, 2026)
Explore the full newsletter here and stay tuned for our next edition. Don’t forget to subscribe to get the latest updates in your inbox!