Solar energy around the world: From mini-grids to solar cities

The village of Rema in Ethiopia operates a solar pump with a connected water tank. The well is far away from the village, and the water used to have to be piped to the village with a diesel pump. But this was often broken or there was not enough fuel. Since 2016, a solar pump has been supplying water to the 6,000 inhabitants, many of whom also need the water for their fields.

Most people in rural regions in East Africa have no access to the power grid. Increasingly, popular solar kiosks like this one in Olkiramatian, Kenya can provide electricity. For a small fee, the solar power from the roof is used to charge cellphones, for example. In this way, people can stay in touch, make money transfers by phone or check the market prices for their vegetables.

Here in Miraflor, in northern Nicaragua, people make their living from coffee cultivation and traditional agriculture. Until 2013, this area had no electricity at all. Then local electricians installed solar panels on the homes of over 600 families. Local farmers or "campesinos" now have enough electricity for light, refrigerators and TV.

This housing development in Freiburg, southern Germany, generates more energy than the residents here consume. Built 20 years ago, it has become a model for urban development. With good insulation, cleverly-utilized ventilation, solar roofs and heat pumps, more and more old houses are now being converted into energy-plus houses. This saves money and helps protect the climate.

The startup SOLshare gives people in rural Bangladesh access to cheap and clean electricity through self-sufficient micro-grids, and creates an additional source of income for them. Households with solar systems are connected to others who do not yet have access to the grid. Solar power can also replace diesel and kerosene during power outages.

This hospital in Tabarre, a suburb of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, is powered by this rooftop solar installation. At 710 kilowatts, it is the largest in the country. Coronavirus patients are cared for here, and all medical equipment runs on solar power. Thanks to the system, around €50,000 ($59,000) is saved on diesel power every year.

The Kenyan village of Talek has 1,500 inhabitants and has had solar power since 2015. The photovoltaic system with an output of 50 kilowatts is located on a small field, and the batteries are housed in the small building next to it. George Ndubi looks after the private solar power plant with mini-grid, which can supply up to 300 customers with electricity.

Water is scarce in the Egyptian desert. This makes the solar power plant in the El-Wahat el-Bahariya Oasis all the more important. It powers the water pump, without which farming would be impossible here. As with everywhere else in the desert, the farmers have to keep clearing sand from the solar panels.

The Danish capital, Copenhagen, wants to be climate neutral by 2025, which is why more and more areas in the city are being used to produce renewable energy. The solar panels on the front of this school, for example, generate electricity. In addition, car traffic in the city is being restricted, e-mobility is being promoted, wind farms are going up and more and more houses are being renovated.

The small town of Saerbeck in western Germany generates more electricity with solar, wind and biomass power than its 7,200 citizens consume. The energy park is now a model for other small communities around the world. Here, a delegation from the US visits for ideas to implement back home.