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Off-Grid Energy Leader ENGIE Energy Access Launches 15 Solar Mini-Grids in Zambia, Targets 60 by 2025
ENGIE Energy Access will provide reliable electricity to underserved families and small businesses, creating economic growth and increasing socio-economic welfare in local communities.
- Categories
- Energy, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Orange Energies Opens Digital Platform for Energy Companies
According to the business, the IOT platform addresses the profitability difficulties that African energy producers confront by lowering the risk of non-payment.
- Categories
- Technology, Telecommunications
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Rethinking Credit Scoring: A Pay-As-You-Go Pioneer Explores Innovative Solutions in Africa
The ability to make life-changing purchases — from buying a home to setting up a business — usually relies upon acquiring credit. But as Mansoor Hamayun at Bboxx explains, in many emerging markets, it’s incredibly difficult for the average citizen to obtain a credit score. He explores the obstacles to credit scoring in Africa, and discusses how Pay-As-You-Go financing of solar products — combined with innovative approaches to consumer subsidies — can be leveraged to boost access to credit scores and essential financial services in underserved communities.
- Categories
- Finance
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Sefa Finances $8 Million for Productive Use of Off-Grid Solar in Ethiopia
The funding will support a pilot project “to test the commercial viability and effectiveness of a business model integrating mini-grids with agro-industrial operations at nine sites in Ethiopia”, says the AfDB.
- Categories
- Energy, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Press Release: $425 Million Invested into the Global Off-Grid Solar Sector in 2023, a 43% Drop Versus 2022
By contrast, investment into the productive use of renewable energy doubled when compared to the previous year. The amount needed for the industry to fulfil its contribution to universal energy access by 2030 would need to be seven times higher.
- Categories
- Energy, Environment, Investing
- Region
- Global
- Tags
- off-grid energy, solar
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Empowering the Underserved: A New Report Highlights the Impact of Off-Grid Energy Solutions — And Some Emerging Challenges
Up to 674 million people living in the world's most vulnerable communities are projected to remain unelectrified by 2030. According to Kat Harrison at 60 Decibels, the off-grid sector could reach these customers, if these energy businesses and organizations are given the right support to successfully scale. She shares insights from a new 60 Decibels report, based on interviews with 79,000 energy customers in over 30 different countries over the last three years, which highlight some adjustments the sector could make to reach hundreds of millions of excluded customers.
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Scaling Impact in the Last Mile Distribution Sector: The Pros and Cons of Different Pathways to Scale
The last mile distribution sector has gained significant momentum. But as Russell Lyseight at the Global Distributors Collective and Emma Colenbrander at Spring Impact point out, there is still a huge discrepancy between the size of the problem (i.e., last mile consumers’ lack of access to beneficial products and services) and the distribution solutions that currently exist. They explore several approaches last mile distributors can use to close this gap.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Energy
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Comparing Business Models for Scaling Access to Productive Use of Energy Appliances in Agriculture: The Advantages of Pay-Per-Use
Productive Use of Energy (PUE) appliances — including solar refrigerators, water pumps and more — can boost productivity, income and quality of life in vulnerable communities. But as Ankur Singh, Argha Ghose and Clementine Chambon at Oorja explain, challenges like high upfront costs, lack of financing and poor after-sales service hinder their adoption among these consumers. They explore several business and end-user financing models that can support PUE uptake in agriculture, and explain why the pay-per-use model is uniquely suitable for low-income consumers.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Energy, Finance, Technology
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