Renewable energy options and the nigerian built environment

The year 2014, saw the Nigerian economy rebased as the largest in the African continent ahead of South Africa but a critical assessment however exposes huge holes in its energy independence and security with gross underperformance in power security. To adequately unbundle the nation’s economic and industrial potentials as well as significant inflow of foreign investments which includes energy, the question of energy poverty needs be addressed. More than 60% of Nigerians’ population is not connected to the National grid and power is epileptic which has compelled the Nigerian government to set out plan to launch a National policy on Renewable Energy and Energy efficiency to boost power supply in the country. A 7% renewable energy use by 2025 is the government’s assumed target taking advantage of new scientific breakthroughs in energy efficiency and delivery of renewable energy technologies and to attain 30,000MW of renewable electricity within a decade. This paper therefore seeks to examine the necessary renewable energy options with attendant advantages to the environment and use of green energy in off-grid locations across the country for up to 60% of a population of 170 million people which is a huge market for Renewables. The existing templates of renewable energy platforms including foreign participation as well as the market in Nigeria will be in sharp focus. A progress report submitted by the presidential task force committee on power reforms in Nigeria in a 2011 assessment showed the largest gap between demand and supply of electricity in the world and this reinforces the need for this research to harness and provide focal point for both national and international efforts on alternative energy options away from fossils and with futuristic perspectives and use within the Built Environment.