Camco – Solar Home Systems to Boost Local Rural Economies (Cameroon)

This case study describes a project managed by Camco Clean Energy via the Renewable Energy Performance Platform (REPP) to deploy Solar Home Systems (SHS) in Cameroon through the provider upOwa. The initiative addresses electricity gaps in rural areas using a pay-as-you-go model to support households, micro-businesses, and essential services.

• In Cameroon, approximately 40% of the population lacks electricity access. In rural areas, which account for 42% of the population, only 20% of households are connected to the national electricity grid.
• The project has installed 24,715 Solar Home Systems (SHS) across two central regions of Cameroon, providing first-time electricity access to 117,455 people, with a target of 900,000 connections by 2023.
• The deployment of SHS has supported 758 micro-businesses and 211 essential services, including water-pumping stations and schools. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this electricity enabled the storage of vaccines, the operation of medical machines for patients in respiratory distress, and the continuation of education during lockdowns.
• The project has avoided 4,269 tonnes of CO2e, supporting a national target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 35.5%, with 11.2% of that reduction expected from the energy sector.
• To improve accessibility and inclusivity, upOwa utilizes a service-based pay-as-you-go model to reduce upfront costs for customers and has implemented a Gender Action Plan with REPP's assistance to increase the number of female customers.

APA

Alliance for Renewable Electrification (2023). Camco – Solar Home Systems to Boost Local Rural Economies (Cameroon). https://renewelec.org/case-study/camco-solar-home-systems-boost-local-rural-economies-cameroon/

Chicago

Alliance for Renewable Electrification. Camco – Solar Home Systems to Boost Local Rural Economies (Cameroon). 2023. https://renewelec.org/case-study/camco-solar-home-systems-boost-local-rural-economies-cameroon/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Alliance for Renewable Electrification |title=Camco – Solar Home Systems to Boost Local Rural Economies (Cameroon) |date=19 January 2023 |url=https://renewelec.org/case-study/camco-solar-home-systems-boost-local-rural-economies-cameroon/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{allianceforrenewableelectrification2023camco, author = {{Alliance for Renewable Electrification}}, title = {{Camco – Solar Home Systems to Boost Local Rural Economies (Cameroon)}}, institution = {Alliance for Renewable Electrification}, year = {2023}, month = jan, url = {https://renewelec.org/case-study/camco-solar-home-systems-boost-local-rural-economies-cameroon/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }