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This report evaluates a pilot project by Oorja Development Solutions in Uttar Pradesh, India, which integrated solar-powered grain milling as a secondary use for solar irrigation pumps (SIPs). The study finds that utilizing idle solar capacity for milling reduces household costs, improves food freshness through smaller-batch processing, and enhances mobility and autonomy for women. However, sustained adoption is hindered by operational bottlenecks, such as operator unavailability and inconsistent grinding quality.

This report by the World Resources Institute examines financing models for the electrification of health facilities in India and Kenya using decentralized renewable energy (DRE), specifically solar photovoltaics and battery storage. It analyzes three primary models—asset ownership, lease-to-own, and energy-as-a-service—highlighting the need to shift from a reliance on upfront grants toward innovative, shared-risk financing to ensure long-term operational sustainability and maintenance.

This briefing by RMI explores how distributed solar, particularly rooftop solar (RTS) and decentralized renewable energy (DRE), can alleviate the financial distress of India's electricity distribution companies (Discoms) while helping the country meet its 2030 renewable energy targets and modernize its grid.

This case study describes a pilot project by Vaya Energy and Schneider Electric to provide a solar-powered microgrid to the Dakwa Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Nigeria. The project aimed to provide 24/7 power to improve maternal and child health and vaccine storage in a community that had lacked grid access since the facility's establishment in 2014.

This report analyzes barriers to private investment in Indonesia's decentralized renewable energy (DRE) sector, identifying regulatory hurdles, low returns on small-scale projects, and limited financing as key obstacles. Using Sumba Island as a case study, it proposes four innovative business models (including VOE and LOE joint ventures and PPPs with availability payments) and three financial instruments (risk pooling, asset-backed securities, and guarantees) to attract private capital and achieve national electrification and climate targets.

This report, published by the Alliance for Renewable Electrification (ARE) in April 2020, outlines a roadmap to ensure the survival and growth of the decentralized renewable energy (DRE) sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. It argues that the crisis threatens the viability of DRE companies and the delivery of electricity to rural communities, potentially hindering the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) by 2030. The document provides specific financial, political, and technical recommendations for governments, donors, and charities to protect the sector and leverage the crisis to accelerate universal electrification.

This report analyzes the financing needs of enterprises providing decentralized electricity and clean cooking solutions (Tiers 1-3) in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Kenya, Myanmar, and Nigeria. It identifies a significant gap between current finance flows and the investment required to meet national energy access targets, highlighting systemic barriers such as high collateral requirements, currency volatility, and a lack of local currency debt.

This briefing from the World Resources Institute outlines a project lifecycle approach to electrifying healthcare facilities in low- and middle-income countries, advocating for decentralized renewable energy (DRE) over costly and polluting diesel generators.