Solar Energy
2 Comments July 21, 2022

Surviving sustainably on solar energy in Somalia by 2025 is not just possible; it is the country’s most viable, evidence-backed strategy for national development and resilience.

Given Somalia’s exceptionally high solar irradiation (5–7 kWh/m²/day) and the high cost of existing diesel-based power (up to $0.41/kWh, three times the regional average), solar power offers a crucial lifeline to lower costs, enhance reliability, and address climate vulnerability.

Survival and sustainability in 2025 hinge on the successful execution of two primary strategies: Decentralized Access and Institutional Strengthening.

Powering Survival: Decentralized Solar Access

The immediate strategy for survival and improving living standards relies on decentralized solar solutions that bypass the lack of a national grid infrastructure.

A. Hybrid Mini-Grids for Resilience (Urban/Commercial)

  • The Model: Private Electricity Service Providers (ESPs) are rapidly replacing pure diesel generation with Solar PV coupled with Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS).

  • Impact: This hybridization ensures 24/7 reliability and has already begun to lower tariffs for commercial and industrial users, with some costs falling dramatically.

  • Survival Benefit: Provides the stable, affordable power needed to run critical infrastructure like data centers, communication networks (as pioneered by Hormuud Telecom), and small to medium enterprises (SMEs).

B. Solar for Basic Services (Rural/Humanitarian)

  • Water Security: Implementing solar-powered water pumping and piping systems is a direct survival strategy, especially against climate-induced droughts. These systems ensure reliable access to safe water for both people and livestock without fuel costs.

  • Healthcare Resilience: Installing off-grid solar-plus-storage systems at health facilities (hospitals, maternity clinics) ensures continuous power for essential medical services like vaccine refrigeration, safe deliveries, and medical oxygen systems, directly saving lives during crises and climate emergencies.

  • PAYGo for Households: Leveraging Somalia’s strong mobile money ecosystem to scale Pay-as-you-Go (PAYGo) Solar Home Systems. This makes clean, basic lighting and phone charging affordable to remote and low-income households who currently rely on costly, unhealthy kerosene or charcoal.

2. 🏛️ Ensuring Sustainability: Institutional and Human Capacity

Long-term survival and sustainable growth depend on transitioning the solar sector from fragmented private efforts to a regulated, high-quality national industry.

A. Finalizing the Regulatory Framework

  • Action: The government must expedite the full operationalization of the National Electricity Authority (NEA), as mandated by the 2023 Electricity Act.

  • Sustainability Benefit: This body must quickly issue and enforce technical standards for all solar and battery components to ensure quality, and finalize licensing and tariff regulations to create a predictable environment that attracts major domestic and international investment.

B. Investment in Local Human Capital

  • Action: Launching and funding large-scale Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programs, like the Solar and Hybrid Mini-Grid Diploma Curriculum, across the country.

  • Sustainability Benefit: Creates a skilled, local workforce capable of designing, installing, operating, and maintaining modern hybrid systems. This reduces reliance on expensive foreign expertise and ensures systems are repaired and managed locally, guaranteeing long-term system integrity.

C. Strategic Financial Mobilization

  • Action: Utilizing blended finance and multilateral guarantees (e.g., from the World Bank or MIGA) to de-risk investments in utility-scale solar projects.

  • Sustainability Benefit: This approach lowers the cost of capital, allowing investors to reduce the final price of electricity, moving the country toward the goal of making power affordable (potentially targeting a regional average of $0.19/kWh) and making solar the default energy source for all development.