Investigating energy policies to boost grid-connected rooftop solar PV in Sudan

Grid-connected rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems can reduce the energy demand from the grid and significantly increase the power available to it. However, rooftop solar PV has not yet been widely adopted in many sub-Saharan African countries, such as Sudan, although they are endowed with high solar radiation and in dire need of additional power. This paper investigates risks and policies to increase grid-connected rooftop solar PV adoption in Sudan. A simplified United Nations Development Program Derisking Renewable Energy Investment framework is adopted to investigate this over three stages. For Stage 1, a list of risks and barriers was produced based on a literature review of solar PV studies in Sudan and interviews with nine stakeholders. Affordability was the risk most often mentioned (eight times from nine interviewees), followed by concerns about poor utility grid infrastructure. For Stage 2, policy de-risking instruments and financial de-risking instruments were listed to overcome the barriers. These include the introduction of net metering, the use of a third-party organization to monitor policy implementation, upgrade of the grid infrastructure, public awareness campaigns and energy-saving schemes. For Stage 3, the levelized cost of electricity was estimated for a typical 2-kW rooftop PV system without policies (0.11 $/kWh) and with a net-metering policy (0.07 $/kWh). Policies and risks to increase grid-connected rooftop solar PV adoption in Sudan are investigated using a simplified United Nations Development Program Derisking Renewable Energy Investment framework consisting of three stages. Graphical Abstract