An assessment of the potential of solar energy in Malawi in terms of renewable energy sources

Achieving inclusive growth and sustainable development in Malawi will require massive expansion of access to electricity currently reaching only about 9% of the 18 million population. Renewable energy can provide a great opportunity for sustainable development of any country. This paper reviews the current status of energy demand and supply in Malawi, examines the major sources of energy and their current exploitation status as well as their potential contribution to the electricity supply of the country, discusses Malawi's geographical location and how it offers tremendous solar insolation throughout the year and finally identifies broad strategies to be implemented to tackle the energy supply challenges through adoption of solar energy. Using secondary data of global daily radiation intensity and air temperature records obtained from the Malawi Department of Meteorology and IRENAfor its critical analysis for a study period from 1984-2015, the paper also presents the financing costs of a potential solar energy plant which were estimated using the Net Present Value Method and run through the RETscreen software. Results from the analysis suggests that Malawi is endowed with vast solar insolation throughout the year and its average cool temperatures make the feasibility of a large scale solar energy project to be possible. In conclusion, the paper outlines strategies that could be utilized to ensure adequate supply of modern energy which is a prerequisitein achieving sustainable social and economic growth.