From powering communities to empowering livelihoods

This case study examines NRECA International's efforts to implement productive use of renewable electricity (PURE) in Guatemala and Zambia. It finds that infrastructure alone is insufficient; success requires capacity development, trust, and appropriate financing. In Guatemala, technical assistance helped young women increase revenue by over 30%. In Zambia, zero-cost lease agreements for a solar-powered agro-processing hub led to a 38% margin in energy cost savings over diesel. These findings are now informing future projects in Haiti.

• In Guatemala, NRECA International's program in Agua Dulce demonstrated that providing infrastructure alone is insufficient for the adoption of productive-use equipment. Initial adoption was slow due to a lack of technical skills, business skills for profitability assessment, and awareness of equipment. Following sustained technical assistance and peer learning, young women using financed equipment increased their revenue by over 30%.
• In Ntatumbila, Zambia, a solar-powered agro-processing hub was established to support small businesses and anchor demand for mini-grids. To overcome barriers of distrust and affordability related to upfront payments, four milling entrepreneurs were provided zero-cost lease agreements. This resulted in a 38% margin based on energy cost savings compared to diesel-powered mills, alongside reductions in pollution, noise, safety risks, and maintenance needs.
• Comparative analysis of projects in Guatemala and Zambia indicates that revolving finance reduces adoption barriers when combined with technical support, and agro-processing hubs can scale through transparent performance and shared risk. These lessons are being applied to future initiatives in Haiti, which will integrate community ownership, capacity building, blended finance, and anchored productive loads.

APA

Ng, L. (2026). From powering communities to empowering livelihoods. Alliance for Renewable Electrification. https://renewelec.org/from-powering-communities-to-empowering-livelihoods/

Chicago

Ng, Ling. From powering communities to empowering livelihoods. Alliance for Renewable Electrification, 2026. https://renewelec.org/from-powering-communities-to-empowering-livelihoods/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ng |first1=Ling |title=From powering communities to empowering livelihoods |publisher=Alliance for Renewable Electrification |date=17 February 2026 |url=https://renewelec.org/from-powering-communities-to-empowering-livelihoods/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ng2026from, author = {Ng, Ling}, title = {{From powering communities to empowering livelihoods}}, institution = {Alliance for Renewable Electrification}, year = {2026}, month = feb, url = {https://renewelec.org/from-powering-communities-to-empowering-livelihoods/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }