7. Smart Energy for Smart Infrastructure Development

Energy forms part of our day to day life. Access to energy is required to support a number of social and economic activities including transportation, communication and production of goods. Without access to electricity, education and health services cannot operate optimally which may impact welfare and human capital development. Access to energy in Africa is lower that the world average with almost 70% of the population without access to electricity. In addition to lack of access, there is no guaranteed supply of electricity for those who have access which threatens economic growth. Access to energy in Africa has increased in recent decades, however, the electrification rate is lower than the population and urban growth. Africa is endowed with natural energy sources that remain untapped. Smart energy technologies provide opportunities to generate, transmit, distribute and use energy in a sustainable manner. This chapter reviews the status of smart energy development in Africa. Access to energy in Africa varies from country to country, with some countries like Egypt, Tunisia and South Africa having more than 80% of people with access to electricity while in other countries less than 10% of population have access to electricity. Implementation of smart energy systems relies on Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). Smart energy is the solution for Africa to increase access and improve reliability of the energy supply in the continent. This chapter also appraises the status of ICT infrastructure and highlights some of the case studies on smart energy systems aimed at energy efficiency and smart grid development.