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Meet Our Innovators
PARTNERING TO GROW THE MARKET FOR OFF-GRID ENERGY SOLUTIONS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
THE PROBLEM
More than 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa live without access to electricity. Most countries are unlikely to connect their entire populations to grid electricity for years, if not decades. As a result, many households rely on expensive, dangerous, pollution-causing kerosene, and diesel fuel for their energy needs.
THE CHALLENGE
Scaling Off-Grid Energy will accelerate growth in the off-grid energy market to provide 20 million households in sub-Saharan Africa with access to modern, clean, and affordable electricity. Our vision is to spur a vibrant marketplace of enterprises that provide off-grid energy solutions that meet the needs of low-income consumers across the African continent.
THE APPROACH
Scaling Off-Grid Energy is a platform for leading donors and investors to develop Africa’s off-grid energy sector and coordinate investments to connect more households and businesses to electricity, faster. Scaling Off-Grid Energy will incentivize technological innovation, fund early stage companies, and support critical elements of the off-grid ecosystem.
The founding partners – the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.K. Department for International Development, and the Shell Foundation – aim to advance the goals and commitments made under the U.S. and U.K. flagship energy access initiatives, Power Africa and Energy Africa.
Key Activities
- Expanding Supply: We support companies that serve off-grid customers by helping them expand geographically, test new business models and tap into private and public sources of finance.
- Driving Demand: We build consumer demand for off-grid power systems by encouraging innovation in products and services customers want and need, including energy efficient household appliances, energy storage, and digital financial services.
- Strengthening the Marketplace: We expand off-grid energy solutions by promoting policy and regulatory reforms, spurring the growth of mobile payment systems, and building capacity in local markets.
