Off-Grid Renewable Energies to achieve SDG-7 and SDG-13: Cheaper, Cleaner and Smarter

The document asserts that off-grid renewable energy, such as solar home systems and mini-grids, outperforms grid extension in cost, emissions, and deployment speed. It provides quantitative evidence showing that off-grid solutions can reduce investment costs by up to 30% and save 500 to 800 Mt of CO2 by 2030. The paper recommends integrating off-grid renewables into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), implementing financial de-risking mechanisms, fostering digital and storage innovations, and enforcing technology and consumer protection standards.

• Off-grid renewable energy solutions can lower the investment costs required to achieve full electrification by up to 30% compared to grid extension. Depending on demand estimations, investment needs for off-grid solutions are estimated at USD 276 billion versus USD 393 billion for lower tier cases, and USD 584 billion versus USD 614 billion for higher tier cases.
• Utilizing off-grid renewables for full electrification by 2030 is significantly more climate-friendly than grid extension, with the potential to save between 500 and 800 Mt of CO2. This approach can reduce annual emissions by up to 100 kg CO2 per person, making it up to 50% cleaner than grid extension.
• Off-grid solutions offer superior deployment speed and reliability over central grids in rural areas; solar home systems (SHS) can be implemented in a day and mini-grids in weeks, whereas grid infrastructure takes years. These decentralized systems also increase climate resilience by mitigating the risk of large-scale power cuts.
• The Productive Use of Renewable Energy (PURE) in agricultural, commercial, and industrial sectors acts as a catalyst for local job creation and socio-economic development, which further aids communities in adapting to climate change through improved education and information access.
• To improve the economic viability of off-grid projects, the document recommends a shift from direct finance to risk mitigation strategies, including the use of concessional finance, smart grants, and result-based-finance (RBF) structures, as well as the reform of fossil fuel subsidies.
• The paper emphasizes the need for digital solutions to increase investment transparency and the development of energy storage and battery technologies tailored for emerging countries' off-grid and mini-grid systems.
• The document advocates for the proliferation of technology quality standards to prevent the market from being flooded with low-quality components and the implementation of consumer protection standards, such as those developed by ARE, AMDA, and Smart Power India.

APA

Cader, C. (2020). Off-Grid Renewable Energies to achieve SDG-7 and SDG-13: Cheaper, Cleaner and Smarter. Alliance for Renewable Electrification. https://www.renewelec.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2020-03-27-GIZ-Position-Paper-Digital.pdf

Chicago

Cader, Catherina. Off-Grid Renewable Energies to achieve SDG-7 and SDG-13: Cheaper, Cleaner and Smarter. Alliance for Renewable Electrification, 2020. https://www.renewelec.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2020-03-27-GIZ-Position-Paper-Digital.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Cader |first1=Catherina |title=Off-Grid Renewable Energies to achieve SDG-7 and SDG-13: Cheaper, Cleaner and Smarter |publisher=Alliance for Renewable Electrification |date=March 2020 |url=https://www.renewelec.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2020-03-27-GIZ-Position-Paper-Digital.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{cader2020offgrid, author = {Cader, Catherina}, title = {{Off-Grid Renewable Energies to achieve SDG-7 and SDG-13: Cheaper, Cleaner and Smarter}}, publisher = {Alliance for Renewable Electrification}, year = {2020}, month = mar, url = {https://www.renewelec.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2020-03-27-GIZ-Position-Paper-Digital.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }