Village Energy’s Post

We explore the possibilities for private sector investments to catalyse transition to renewable energy, in improving smallholder farmer productivity in Nigeria.

Nigeria’s poultry industry is essential to the economy, but one thing every small and medium-sized farmer has in common? Sky-high energy bills. Our unpredictable and perpetually “bala-bulu” (epileptic) power grid means these farmers are often caught between pricy, polluting PMS or diesel and praying for electricity. The current blackout in the northern region for over a week isn’t even something the farmers and cold storage operators want to wish their village people. For farmers and cold storage operators, renewable energy could be a game-changer, slashing costs, boosting productivity, and keeping our feathered friends (and our cold chickens) chill. + Why Power is Poultry’s Best Friend (After Feed) Reliable energy is critical for keeping birds happy, well-lit to aid feeding, and at the right temperature, especially now that the harmattan season is sneaking in. For cold storage, it’s non-negotiable: no power means spoiled goods, aka financial losses. When energy goes, so do profits. + Renewable Energy to the Rescue Switching to renewable sources like solar and biogas can save small farmers from the costly PMS or diesel trap. Here’s why renewables are worth the cluck: 1.  No More PMS or Diesel Headaches Solar and wind mean lower fuel costs, less maintenance, and no petrol or diesel dependency. Biogas is also an area worth the investment. 2.  Happier Birds, Fewer Spoiled Chickens Consistent power means a better environment for chickens and reliable cooling for produce. Happy birds = more meat/eggs and higher profits. 3.  Becoming a “Green Farmer” Embracing renewables cuts greenhouse gas emissions, an increasingly important consideration and gives small farmers bragging rights. 4.  Resilience and Reliability Say goodbye to power cut disruptions. With solar, you get reliable, independent power—even when the grid says, “Nope!” 5.  Extra Cash, Anyone? Renewable power can even mean income opportunities. Solar or wind surplus could sell back to the grid or be stored for on-farm use. + What Can Farmers Do? Investing in solar panels or a small biogas setup (hello, manure!) can power everything from feeders to cold rooms. Solar refrigeration keeps cold storage running when it matters most. + Yes, There Are Challenges (Especially in Nigeria) Renewable energy isn’t cheap up front. But with government incentives and subsidies (yeah, put back that subsidy from PMS on renewable sources) and micro-loans, small farmers can make the switch. Some companies even offer lease or pay-as-you-go setups, making it more accessible than ever. + The Sunny Side for Nigerian Poultry Renewable energy could be the backbone of a more sustainable, resilient poultry industry in Nigeria. Let’s help small farmers cut on fuel, slash costs, and power up productivity with a little help from the sun. Because when it comes to poultry production, energy is everything. 🌞🐔 #Poultry #Growth #Innovation #Impact #RenewableEnergy #Power #ColdStorage Pullus Africa

New agreements have been signed with producers offering clean cookstoves based on pellet and solar/biomass technology to accelerate access to clean cooking solutions across #Kenya. Modern Cooking Facility for Africa will provide up to EUR 1.3 million to African Clean Energy (ACE) and up to EUR 1.5 million to Ecosafi, the Better Cooking Company in results-based financing, which will provide some 190,000 people with clean cooking solutions by end of 2028. African Clean Energy (ACE) will sell its own-designed ACE One gasifier stoves to customers on Kenya’s Eastern coast. With the financing provided by MCFA, the company aims to sell 13,000 stoves, which will provide up to 65,000 people in Kenya with clean cooking solutions. Ecosafi, the Better Cooking Company will provide Kenyans with efficient cooking stoves of their own design and a regular supply of pellet fuel made from agricultural waste. With the financing provided by MCFA, the company aims to establish 25,000 sustainable clean cooking services in Kenya. This will provide up to 125,000 people in Kenya with access to clean cooking solutions. ➡ Read more: https://lnkd.in/defAgt3P #CleanCooking #solar #biomass #Kenya #subsaharanafrica Norad - Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation Sida European Union Nefco - the Nordic Green Bank

🌱 Approximately 70% of the world’s ammonia is used to manufacture fertilizer, but traditional production methods rely on fossil fuels and generate extensive greenhouse gas emissions. Green ammonia holds great potential to decarbonize agricultural industries and drive renewable energy deployment. At RTI International, we’re driving sustainable solutions for food security in Africa through innovative green fertilizer production. Recently, we supported research led by Pablo Torres and Sameer Parvathikar, in collaboration with Power-to-X Analytics, to assess the viability of producing green fertilizers in four African countries. This effort aims to reduce reliance on imports, lower costs for farmers, and contribute to climate resilience. Discover more about the innovative model and recommendations for advancing green fertilizer production ➡️ https://lnkd.in/ebKGws2m

Sistema.bio / Sistema Biobolsa, a company focused on providing renewable energy to smallholder farmers, has raised $15 million in new funding to help grow its business. The funds will allow the company to expand into more markets and improve the clean energy solutions it offers to farmers around the world. This round of funding was led by ElectriFI, with participation from investors like Chroma Impact Investment, KawiSafi Ventures, and AXA IM Alts. Additional support came from BIX Capital, the Shell Foundation, and others. Sistema.bio creates biogas technology that turns animal waste into clean energy for cooking and electricity. It also produces biofertilizer, which helps farmers increase their crop yields. To date, the company has installed its systems in over 12,000 farms in 35 countries, including Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Tanzania. These systems have benefited 100,000 farmers and more than 600,000 people worldwide, helping reduce over 1 million tons of carbon emissions annually. #renewableenergy #farmers #cleanenergy #nairobi #biogas #businessverge

Selling canola into Canada's new Clean Fuel Regulations market won't be burdensome...so they say! Producers will only be required to declare the crop's Canadian origin. Growers must also provide an attestation, with GPS coordinates for traceability. The regulation marks a significant opportunity for the canola industry, with new crush projects announced and renewable diesel capacity expected to exceed four billion liters by 2030. This paper discusses market diversification and the need for incentives to support renewable fuel production in Canada! Follow the link to read more! 🌱 #CleanFuelRegulations #CanolaIndustry #RenewableFuel https://lnkd.in/eE25diFj 

🍅 🥒 🥕 Growing business: helping French greenhouse farmers. Dependent on government support for their energy needs, greenhouse farmers in France have struggled to maintain profitability and plan their future activities. As subsidies for cogeneration are gradually set to be phased out by 2030, Axpo France has stepped in to offer long-term fixed-price energy contracts that secure the farmers’ future by hedging against volatile markets. In a nutshell 👇🏼 1️⃣ Running a greenhouse is an expensive endeavour, requiring around 400 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of heat for each cubic meter. 2️⃣ Since 2020, #natgas prices, ranging from €30 to €150 per megawatt-hour, have significantly impacted farmers' production costs. This caused energy costs to vary from as low as €0.7 to as high as €3.5 per kilogram. 3️⃣ #Axpo enabled farmers to lock in fixed energy prices for periods ranging from 5 to 10 years. We offered an innovative way to secure prices for both the gas they consume and the electricity they produce with cogeneration. 4️⃣ "Partnering with Axpo has transformed our operations. Thanks to fixed energy prices, we can plan our production without the fear of volatility" said Anne Claire GOYER from Le Potager de Jade. 5️⃣ Our strategic focus on risk management is transforming agricultural energy management for French greenhouse farmers. Axpo is softening the economic impact of the gradual phase-out of subsidies and promoting greater long-term financial stability and independence. 🔗 Read the story of this innovative partnership: https://lnkd.in/emnETEGc © 📸 Emeline Boileau 📷

Agro-Circularity in Renewable Energy: ACEN Partners with SariSuki to Enhance Farmers’ Livelihoods ACEN, the energy platform of the Ayala group, has announced a strategic partnership with SariSuki, the Philippines’ largest online platform revolutionizing the agricultural supply chain. The collaboration aims to support local farmers in ACEN’s host communities by providing essential agricultural skills to cultivate suitable crops on the company’s renewable energy sites and streamlining the supply chain to enhance market reach and profitability. The partnership has launched the Agro-Circularity in Renewable Energy program (ACRE), designed to foster agro-circular economies within the farming communities where ACEN operates. The innovative farm-to-market strategy aims to increase crop yields by 50%, significantly surpassing the national […] Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/dYQjJdxA #solarenergy #alternativeenergy #solarpv #pvsolar #photovoltaic #cleanenergy #cleantech #climatechange #acen #acre #philippines #renewableenergy #southeastasia #sustainability

I am thrilled to share with you our recently published article titled “Enhancing sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture: Optimization of greenhouse energy consumption through microgrid systems utilizing advanced meta-heuristic algorithms” in the journal Energy Strategy Reviews. In this paper, we conducted an in-depth energy assessment of greenhouses in South Korea and Nigeria using TRNSYS. We also investigated the reliability of hybrid renewable energy systems across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. By utilizing the advanced Teaching and Learning-Based Optimization algorithm from RETScreen software, the paper discusses the economic viability and optimal configurations of wind and solar power for base load energy supply. The net present cost analysis shows that PV-ESS systems are the most cost-effective for horticultural facilities in Nigeria compared to WT-PV-ESS systems, due to lower energy storage requirements and abundant solar resources. Based on the results of this study, several policies were proposed to revolutionize the energy sector and agricultural practices in Nigeria. The article is open access, and you can read more about the details of our results (https://lnkd.in/g2r-4vp3) Congratulations to all the authors!

A prominent citrus producer and exporter in South Africa has turned to captive solar power to reduce its dependence on the country’s failing energy system. Eden Fruit is a long-established farming operation based in Blyde River Valley in the Limpopo Province. The company exports its produce across the world, from Mumbai to Montreal. In recent years, however, Eden Fruit has seen its operations severely affected by national utility Eskom’s loadshedding regime, which has led to a significant increase in the use of diesel gensets to keep up with production demands and an additional R200,000 per month in fuel costs. To counter the impact of loadshedding, Eden Fruit approached Spark Energy Services (Spark)’s development partner Renen Energy Services Limited to install an additional 102kWp rooftop solar array to its packhouse operations, which already has a grid-tied array with a previous supplier. In addition, Renen has integrated a 500kWh battery storage system, which will enable the facility to run fully off-grid in the event of loadshedding.   The installation, including securing the funding, took about three months to complete and is now providing the business with the reliable energy supply it needs to get back to full capacity while delivering approximately 20% savings on its electricity costs at the same time. The business will make further savings on its reduced reliance on diesel for back-up power. The panels are also helping Eden Fruit contribute to a greener future by generating an estimated 266MWh of clean power annually, leading to 285 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions being avoided. “Loadshedding is having a crippling effect on many agricultural clients and other types of business in South Africa, but it doesn’t need to be that way,” said Adam Fitzwilliam, who heads up the Spark team at Camco. "Eden Fruit decided to take control of its power needs with this project and can now enjoy a much more reliable power supply as a result, giving it the edge on its competitors while curbing its carbon emissions and doing something positive for the environment at the same time.” Are you a farmer or other business looking to take control of your energy future with solar power? Contact us to find out how Spark and our development partners can help provide you with a tailor-made renewable energy solution. https://lnkd.in/e3BGkyJD