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This report evaluates the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) scheme, specifically Components A and C-FLS, which promote decentralized solar power plants (1–10 MW) on farmers' land to improve irrigation and reduce state power subsidies. While the economic case is strong, the report identifies governance, market, and structural barriers that have led to gradual progress, and provides recommendations for a post-2026 scheme architecture.

This policy brief evaluates a pilot project by Oorja Development Solutions in Uttar Pradesh, India, which utilized the secondary capacity of solar-powered irrigation pumps (SIPs) to power community grain mills. The evaluation found that these solar mills reduced costs and travel distances for smallholders and improved women's autonomy, although operational challenges like operator availability and infrastructure limited sustained adoption. The document recommends integrating secondary productive uses into India's PM-KUSUM scheme to optimize solar asset utilization.

The Africa Policy Research Institute argues that climate finance in Africa must shift from a narrow focus on large-scale infrastructure to a 'dual mandate' that equally supports decentralized, consumer-led energy transitions. The document asserts that while utility-scale projects are foundational, the most dynamic energy growth is occurring through off-grid systems and MSMEs, which currently lack the structured local-currency credit and trade finance necessary to scale.

This case study describes the implementation of decentralized solar micro-grids by GHE in Ladakh and northeast India to provide clean energy to remote communities where national grid extension is unfeasible.

This report by RMI analyzes the role of rural energy cooperatives as a collaborative model to accelerate the global transition to clean energy, focusing on overcoming barriers to energy access and affordability in rural areas.

Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) is an organization dedicated to accelerating the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7)—universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy by 2030—and supporting the global transition to net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative examines the role of community-based renewable energy (RE) mini-grids in providing electricity to remote areas of Eastern Indonesia. Through four case studies in East Nusa Tenggara and East Kalimantan, the report identifies community ownership and consensus as critical factors for the success and sustainability of decentralized RE projects, contrasting these with the significant lack of private sector interest due to high costs and perceived risks.

This research paper examines the energy infrastructure challenges faced by island states and the potential for decentralized renewable energy systems to improve resilience and sustainability in the face of climate change and geographic isolation.

This fact sheet, published by the Alliance for Renewable Electrification in October 2023, outlines the potential for decentralized renewable energy (DRE) to create green jobs in West Africa, specifically focusing on Ghana and Senegal. It advocates for public-private collaboration and specific policy interventions to catalyze employment and rural electrification.

This report by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) identifies perceived knowledge gaps and barriers hindering the adoption of 'gridless' (decentralized) water, sanitation, and energy services. Based on workshops with 48 global stakeholders, the report argues that project failures often stem from socio-technical and systemic issues—such as regulatory mismatches, lack of user-centric design, and unsustainable business models—rather than technical performance.

This fact sheet describes 'Cooling as a Service' (CaaS) and the 'Your Virtual Cold Chain Assistant' (Your VCCA) mobile application, designed to reduce food waste and increase revenues for smallholder farmers in India through affordable, sustainable cold storage.

This case study by the World Resources Institute describes how Nav Jivan Hospital in rural India improved its resilience and capacity to treat COVID-19 patients by installing a 10-kilowatt peak (kWp) solar photovoltaic (PV) system to mitigate unreliable grid electricity.

This case study examines the challenges and opportunities for decentralized renewable energy development in West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, emphasizing the need for institutional reforms, multi-stakeholder partnerships, and integrated spatial planning.

This briefing by RMI argues that decentralized solar energy is the most viable path to providing electricity access to the 1.3 billion people currently without it, specifically in sub-Saharan Africa and India, while avoiding a projected 141-percent increase in carbon emissions by 2040 that would result from coal-fired power plants.

This report by RMI argues that nuclear power is an uncompetitive and inefficient solution for climate change compared to decentralized alternatives. The authors contend that nuclear power suffers from escalating capital costs, high financial risk, and slow deployment speeds, making it unattractive to private investors. They suggest that 'micropower'—including wind, solar, and cogeneration—along with end-use efficiency, provides a more cost-effective, reliable, and secure path to reducing carbon emissions.

This executive summary of an energy manifesto by Friends of the Earth International calls for a systemic overhaul of the global energy system to achieve energy sovereignty and climate justice. The document argues that the current capitalist model drives ecological collapse and social inequality, proposing a transition to a people-centered system based on 10 key demands. It advocates for treating energy as a common good rather than a commodity, prioritizing small-scale renewable technologies, and ensuring a just transition that protects workers' rights and addresses historical climate debts owed by the Global North.

The executive summary of 'Energizing Finance: Taking the Pulse 2021' analyzes the financial requirements to achieve universal energy access (SDG7) in Ghana, Mozambique, and Vietnam. It focuses on decentralized solutions, estimating the capital needed for electricity (Tier 1) and clean cooking (Tiers 2-4), while identifying critical affordability gaps and regulatory barriers that hinder private sector investment.

This report by the World Resources Institute analyzes the market potential for clean energy products and services targeting the rural Base of the Pyramid (BoP) in India, focusing on decentralized renewable energy and energy-efficient products to inform potential investors.