Renewable Energy: Solar Solutions Charm Public

Extending electricity to rural communi­ ties in Cameroon has long been slow and expensive because building power lines to remote villages requires heavy invest­ ment. This week at the Yaounde Confe­ rence Centre, engineers, business ow­ ners, and government officials are focusing on generating solar power di­ rectly where people live and work. Run­ ning from November 11 to 13, 2026, the second edition of the Solar Connect Africa trade fair organized by OL Power Tech SARL under the patronage of the Ministry of Water Resources and Energy (MINEE), examines how solar technology can help Cameroon reach its goal of uni­ versal electricity access by 2030. Rather than relying only on expanding the main power grid, OL Power Tech SARL’s Direc­ tor, Luther Ndola, explained that the in­ ternational solar programme uses four approaches; including rural off-grid sys­ tems, grid-connected solar power plants, standalone home units, and rooftop pa­ nels for urban buildings. “Together, these methods add power capacity while redu­ cing pressure on city networks,” he said. Installing solar panels is only part of the solution, as past projects in the region have often failed due to low-quality im­ ported parts and a shortage of trained re­ pair workers. To address these ...