This race to a more sustainable world is a divided one. Developed countries are urging others to make the switch from carbon emitting ones to renewable sources of energy, but obviously that’s easier said than done. There is simply not enough funding, awareness, or infrastructure to do so. These countries are in the midst of their economic booms evidenced as they are becoming increasingly more competitive in the global economy. With more growth comes a need for more energy. Therefore, these countries, though lacking in certain aspects, need to start thinking about the future in terms of their energy sources and a replacement for traditional carbon emissions. As governments start exploring options there are few that seem viable. 

However, Solar Energy could bring about a viable transition to sustainable energy for developing nations around the world. The fact is, most of these developing countries are in fact the ones with the most sun exposure in the world which is important when using photovoltaic cells to transform the sun's energy to electrical energy that people can use on a daily basis.There are numerous applications in which solar energy could be applied to help better ones life, but the use of solar cells in Africa represents the stepping stone for many other developing countries.  

Case Study: Africa

Africa is referred to as the "Sun Continent" and thus has high potential for solar energy use. The entire continent has long period of sunlight exposure for most of the day and year. There are numerous desserts which have constant sunlight. Africa is a continent primed to be a very strong region for solar generated electricity. The evidence is already becoming clearer. As the cost for more solar panels are decreasing (with better production) Africa has begun constructing more solar panels throughout Africa to take advantage of the excessive sunlight. 

Subcategories: 

-South Africa is the solar energy leader in Africa with 1329 MW

-Ghana planning to have 200MW from solar with a new solar farm 

-Kenya with a new 50MW solar farm which will provide a lot of energy for the entire country

In Conclusion, there are clearly many avenues in which governments can switch to renewable sources of energy. However, for developing nations, this transition might be difficult given the lack of funding. Solar Energy could be that catalyst for change in these countries, evidenced by Africa's increasing use of solar panels to generate electricity. In the future, developing nations need to start considering other options for fossil fuels to generate their increasingly larger demand for electricity. One can hope that , this change is done through a renewable source of energy such as Solar.