Off-grid energy

Digital technology can play a foundational role in enabling energy access and addressing affordability — a dominant barrier for lower-income consumers.

Download a sector summary.

 

In collaboration with partners, we expand digital financial services (DFS) to unlock financing of off-grid energy products and other essential products, like smartphones.

OUR EXPERTISE

  • An icon of a lightbulb coming out of a box, indicating product design

    Product design

    We help clients design products for solar home system repayments that meet the needs of their customers.

  • An icon of a piece of paper with check marks and exes, indicating regulatory training

    Regulatory training

    We support clients in understanding the regulatory considerations for solar home system deployments, and assist governments in understanding how to regulate the industry.

  • A house icon with a solar panel on the roof, representing PAYGo literacy and training

    PAYGo literacy & training

    We support end users in understanding the potential of solar home systems to close energy gaps and facilitate training on how to make repayments through DFS.

RECENT WORK

  • Feasibility Study and Risk Assessment for Accelerating Access to Off-Grid Energy Through Flexible PAYG Payment Channels

    Client: World Bank
    Location: Ethiopia
    Date: June 2022 - March 2023

    We conducted a feasibility and risk assessment to explore how alternative payment channels, specifically airtime, could facilitate payment for pay-as-you-go (PAYG) solar systems in Ethiopia. The project entailed four primary steps: 1) conducting international case studies on the use of airtime to facilitate payment for products and services to understand challenges and best practices; 2) completing a feasibility study that assessed the potential and the risks; 3) developing a hypothetical business case that assumes the permitted use of airtime as payment, taking into consideration the interests of regulatory, private sector and civil society stakeholders; and 4) presenting a summary of findings to regulatory stakeholders in Ethiopia to inform potential next steps.

  • Developing a Policy and Regulatory Framework for Pay-As-You-Go Off-Grid Solar

    Client: World Bank
    Location: Global, Uganda, Ethiopia
    Date: February 2020 - Present

    We created a government guidance toolkit that helps countries develop an enabling policy and regulatory framework for the PAYG sector. The toolkit includes a diagnostic matrix, best practices and case studies, and describes the role that off-grid solar plays in achieving national goals for digital transformation and financial inclusion. Our teams are currently testing and refining the toolkit in Uganda and Ethiopia.

  • Support on Developing and Marketing a Digital Financial Service Offering to Female Farmers in East Africa

    Client: IFC/Fenix International
    Location: Uganda
    Date: October 2018 - July 2019

    We supported Fenix International (now Engie), a PAYG solar company, to design and develop a digital credit product for their female smallholder farmer customers. Key activities included: 1) conducting an agricultural needs assessment of female farmers among Fenix’s customer base; 2) designing and piloting of a rural, female-facing agricultural loan and information service offering; and 3) offering support and guidance to Fenix in piloting, implementing and evaluating the newly-designed product.