THE AIM OF the African Energy Policy Research Network is to promote research relating to the formulation and implementation of appropriate energy policies for countries of East, Central and Southern Africa. This report reviews the current status of renewable energy technologies, the existing barriers that limit their widescale use and the consequent prospects of such technologies in Africa.

The opening chapter places the energy sector in its geo-political and socioeconomic setting, describing regional ecological characteristics and trends in energy supply and use. Economic issues are also discussed, as in access to energy sources being a prerequisite to development, and the contribution of energy facility development to the national debt. The energy sector is then explored in terms of supply, with conventional energy resource availability being questioned and the potential of renewable energy technologies (including biomass, hydroelectric, solar, wind and geothermal) being established. Energy demand from household, transport and agricultural production are then discussed.

Part II describes the technologies used for biomass, solar, wind and small hydro, and considers the extent of their use globally and within Africa. Chapter 2 focuses on biomass energy in its modern, efficient and environmentally benign form as opposed to its traditional form. Large-scale biomass energy applications are then discussed: co-generation, ethanol production, large-scale biogas production, large-scale briquetting, direct combustion for process heat, and gasification. Small-scale biomass technologies are then outlined, encompassing a wide range of technologies, i.e. charcoal production, improved stoves (urban, rural and institutional), briquetting and household biogas.

Solar energy technologies are the focus of Chapter 3 and their advantages, constraints and problems are outlined. Chapter 4 discusses wind energy technologies, beginning with a brief history of the ancient use of wind resources and moving on to explain the logistics of harnessing this energy resource through wind pumps and wind turbines. The fundamentals of small hydro technologies are discussed in Chapter 5, along with an assessment of its potential and use worldwide, as well as in East and Southern Africa.

Chapters 6 and 7 look at the factors that influence the dissemination of renewable energy technologies, and assess strategies for future development. Organization, management and maintenance are the main themes of Chapter 8 and Chapter 9 discusses human resource development for renewable energy technologies, including both formal training and more informal mechanisms. Equity in relation to access to energy is discussed in Chapter 10.
Chapter 11 examines current attitudes within Africa with regard to national energy planning. This includes recognizing emerging environmental problems such as deforestation, air pollution and municipal waste pollution, and possible solutions through the use of renewable energy technologies. Problems in the dissemination of these technologies are outlined in Chapter 12 before policy recommendations are made, arguing for long-term decentralized programming and planning, and stressing coordination between all institutions and agencies for the successful development of renewable energy technologies and their integration into health, agriculture and water supply programmes and projects. The authors argue for the institution of new and flexible financing mechanisms and recommend ways in which training and capacity-building initiatives could be established. The book ends with a bibliography and appendices, which provide information on various aspects of the design and dissemination efforts in Africa.