Page 89 - A Comprehensive Guide to Solar Energy Systems
P. 89
84 A COMPrEHENSIVE GUIdE TO SOlAr ENErGy SySTEMS
FIGURE 5.2 Photograph of build in Mutende, Lulamba, Zambia with twelve 136 W amorphous Si PV panels
with an inverter/charger for two 102 Ah lead acid batteries feeding a mains outlet. A small DC system powers
internal lighting (six LED bulbs) a radio and two USB charging points through a small battery bank.
The humid equatorial climate of Central Africa, which lies along the equator, sustains
tropical rainforests throughout the region and provides the excellent growing conditions
needed for high value crops such as bananas, coffee, oil palm, and cacao. Mining of
diamonds, uranium, and manganese also contributes significantly to the economy.
The economy of East Africa is based largely in agriculture; however, the topography is
extremely varied; Kilimanjaro, the Serengeti plains, and lake Victoria are all located
here. Southern Africa is a mix of lowlands and mountains along the coasts—the Cape
Ford range in the west and the drakensberg Mountains in the east. Interior plateau
stretches between them, incorporating the vast Zambezi river, Victoria Falls, and the
Namib and Kalahari deserts.
As of 2015, the population of SSA was 949.2 million [12]. African countries are among
the fastest growing in the world: the UN predicts 1.3 billion people will be added to
