Search Climate Insights Directory

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.

This report by the Alliance for Renewable Electrification (ARE) and Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) examines the potential for direct green job creation through Decentralised Renewable Energy (DRE) in Ghana and Senegal. It establishes a methodology for calculating an 'Employment Factor' to estimate jobs per kWp of installed capacity and provides scenarios for job growth by 2030 based on different policy approaches. The study highlights that DRE can serve as a catalyst for formalising employment in regions with high informal sector activity and can significantly increase induced employment through productive uses of energy.

This project update from RMI describes the performance of Nigeria's first commercial undergrid minigrid in Mokoloki, Ogun State. Launched in February 2020 through a tripartite partnership between the Mokoloki community, Nayo Tropical Technology, and the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), the project provides reliable solar power to a community that previously had unreliable grid access. The report highlights the project's financial viability, technical stability, and its role in stimulating local economic growth.

This report by the Alliance for Renewable Electrification (ARE) analyzes the market for decentralized renewable energy (DRE) equipment used for productive purposes in the agricultural and agri-food sectors of Benin, Cameroon, and Madagascar. It identifies significant opportunities for solar pumps and refrigeration to boost rural productivity and socio-economic development, while highlighting barriers such as high initial costs, lack of technical standards, and insufficient e-waste recycling infrastructure.