Today, renewables provide around 75% of primary energy demand for heat supply in Africa, the main contribution coming from the use of biomass. The availability of less efficient but cheap appliances is a severe structural barrier to efficiency gains. Large-scale utilisation of geothermal and solar thermal energy for heat supply is restricted to the industrial sector. Dedicated support instruments are required to ensure a continuously dynamic development of renewables in the heat market.

In the Energy [R]evolution Scenario, renewables provide 72% of Africa’s total heating and cooling demand in 2050.

• Energy efficiency measures can restrict the future energy demand for heat and cooling supply to a 50% increase, in spite of improving living standards.
•  In the industry sector solar collectors, biomass/biogas as well as geothermal energy are increasingly substituting for conventional fossil-fired heating systems.
• A shift from coal and oil to natural gas in the remaining conventional applications leads to a further reduction of CO2 emissions.