NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

The Rural Energy Access through Social Enterprise and Decentralisation (EASE) project focuses primarily on SDG7 progress in Malawi and aims to increase access to sustainable energy for rural communities in Dedza and Balaka, enabling economic development and improved livelihoods. Though EASE, the following achievements have been realised:

• Staff at Community Energy Malawi have been piloting District Energy Officers, raising awareness around renewable energy with rural communities and building capacity for mainstreaming energy in local development planning. Learning from this work aims to inform and support national policy targets to roll out DEOs in all districts.
• A solar PV energy hub and solar powered irrigation has been installed in Balaka District, offering refrigeration for farmers to store produce and other productive uses of energy, enabling increased incomes and economic development for rural farmers and businesses.
• Two solar microgrids have been installed by United Purpose in Dedza district, generating and distributing power for local domestic and productive customers in rural villages. The systems offer valuable experience and primary data to inform the expanding microgrid sector in Malawi.

This webinar will share first-hand insight on these EASE initiatives, highlighting lessons learned and recommendations for accelerating energy access in Malawi. Specifically, data on microgrid and energy hub technical, economic and social impact performance will be shared, along with policy implications for the roll out of DEOs.

Part 1: District Energy Officers

• Experiences of piloting DEOs – Louis Yona and Estrida Nyirenda, Community Energy Malawi
• Impact and policy implications of DEOs – Damien Frame, University of Strathclyde

Part 2: Solar Microgrids

• Experiences from operating solar microgrids in Malawi – Elizabeth Banda, United Purpose
• Understanding microgrid impact and performance – Aran Eales, University of Strathclyde
• Remote monitoring and data analysis of off-grid systems – Million Mafuta, MUBAS

Time: 13:00 – 14:30 BST | 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM EST