Energy Efficiency Development in Sub-Saharan Africa

In the quest to attain energy efficiency in Sub-Saharan Africa, it is the goal of every government to provide the basic energy needs of its citizens. Households and businesses need a reliable and sustainable source of electricity for socio-economic development. Sustainable Development Goal 7 emphasizes access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all, this indicates efficient and effective use of energy sources available to households and industries.

Energy Efficiency (EE) projects have become a critical tool in meeting the rapid growth in the energy demand and one of the cost-effective ways to battle climate change. EE is defined as the use of less energy to perform the same task or produce the same result. EE buildings, electronics, and manufacturing facilities use less energy to heat, cool, and produce goods and services.

An energy efficiency standard is a regulation that recommends minimum energy performance of an energy-consuming product such as household appliances, lighting products, and other energy-consuming equipment. Energy efficiency labels are information labels attached to manufactured products specifying the product’s energy efficiency rating or the estimated annual energy use, this information provides consumers with the data necessary to make an informed decision. Energy Efficiency Labelling and Standards have become a requirement for the creation of stronger markets for energy-efficient goods and services. In this regard, most sub-Saharan countries have opted for innovative ways to eliminate non-efficient appliance models and encourage households and manufacturing companies to choose more efficient technologies, which would increase the country’s overall energy efficiency. Sub-Saharan countries such as Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa have instituted mandatory Energy Efficiency Standards and Labelling on appliances like lighting systems, fridges, freezers, washing machines, etc., to curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and reduce energy spending costs for consumers.

The benefits associated with EE include a reduction of utility bills and help in job creation. Environmentally, it helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants and decrease wastage in water use. Also, Energy-efficiency products reduce the amount of electricity on the grid, leading to reliability and resilience of electricity provision and improvement in the health of citizens.

The region has several challenges in implementing the EE models which include non-regular review and updating of the national EE strategy, non-cooperation of stakeholders, lack of regulations enforcing compliance, and quality control on technologies and monitoring.

To achieve a landmark position, governments in sub-Saharan Africa must firmly institute a legal framework to enforce the EE models in all sectors of the economy, such as in procurement, transport, real estate, and cooking.