All Economics
Research Summary: Affordable financing for DRE livelihood appliances
A new CEEW report generates evidence on the impact of solar-powered productive use technologies on the net incomes of end-users. Access to finance remains one of the biggest challenges for small rural businesses, as is awareness among financiers.
https://www.powerforall.org/resources/research-summaries/research-summary-affordable-financing-dre-livelihood-appliances
Commercial and industrial customers to accelerate the energy transition in Africa
Commercial and industrial (C&I) off-takers can become the main driver for the energy transition in Africa and elsewhere. This is in-line with a global trend that is seeing C&I businesses integrating renewable energy solutions to power on-site operations. Renewables address three issues: greening energy supply, reducing cost and making power more reliable.
https://www.powerforall.org/insights/africa/commercial-and-industrial-customers-accelerate-energy-transition-africa
Fact Sheet: Quantifying mini-grid impacts
The impacts of renewable energy mini-grids extend far beyond high quality electricity access, providing rural communities with employment, increases in household savings and micro-enterprise revenue, and improved health, education and safety.
https://www.powerforall.org/resources/fact-sheets/fact-sheet-quantifying-mini-grid-impacts
Fact Sheet: Unlocking demand for rural mini-grids
Demand stimulation through appliance financing helps balance the load profile of mini-grids and increase capacity utilization, both keys to their long-term sustainability. US$1.3 billion of appliance financing is needed by 2030.
https://www.powerforall.org/resources/fact-sheets/fact-sheet-unlocking-demand-rural-mini-grids
Research Summary: SDG7 lagging far behind targets
A report tracking progress toward SDG7 says the status quo will leave nearly 3 billion without electricity or clean cooking by 2030. To achieve universal access, the report added, US$55 billion is needed per year.
https://www.powerforall.org/resources/research-summaries/research-summary-sdg7-lagging-far-behind-targets
Local manufacturing: a next frontier for SDG7
Almost without exception, the growth of distributed renewable energy (DRE) in sub-Saharan Africa and developing economies in South and Southeast Asia has been achieved on the back of inexpensive imports from China. That is changing.
https://www.powerforall.org/news-media/articles/local-manufacturing-next-frontier-sdg7
Fact Sheet: DRE Finance Gap
A huge shortage of capital for the sector remains, with just a decade left to achieve SDG7. And most money is concentrated in a small number of companies while ignoring most high-impact countries. What solutions are needed?
https://www.powerforall.org/resources/fact-sheets/fact-sheet-dre-finance-gap
Acumen: Mind The Pioneer Gap
Despite an increase in investment for distributed renewable energy companies over the past 5 years, most of it went to a handful of companies and 93% say they are still trapped in a "Pioneer Gap" between seed and commercial capital. More patient capital is needed. This is according to a recent report, Accelerating Energy Access: The Role of Patient Capital, from campaign partner Acumen.
https://www.powerforall.org/resources/research-summaries/mind-pioneer-gap
4 keys to unlock cheap micro-grid finance
To improve lender confidence and increase project financial attractiveness, micro-grid developers should reduce the risks of non-steady cash flows through four short-term actionable strategies
https://www.powerforall.org/insights/economics/4-keys-unlock-cheap-micro-grid-finance
In Conversation with Dana Rysankova, World Bank
She provides strategic and operational guidance to the World Bank’s Energy and Extractives Global Practice to scale-up the bank’s energy access interventions. In addition to this role, Dana is coordinating energy access activities at the World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP), where among other things she is the Program Manager for Lighting Global. Dana also leads a global initiative for applying the Multi-Tier Framework for tracking energy access in the context of the Sustainable Energy for All and SDG7 goals.
https://www.powerforall.org/news-media/interviews/conversation-dana-rysankova-world-bank
Research Summary: Poor People's Energy Outlook
Practical Action’s PPEO 2017 focuses on how to finance people-driven energy access solutions. Through case studies from Bangladesh, Kenya and Togo, Practical Action highlights that we already have most of the tools needed to finance a bottom-up renewable revolution.
https://www.powerforall.org/resources/research-summaries/research-summary-poor-peoples-energy-outlook
Nigeria Energy Access Taskforce Confronts Tariff Challenge
Nigeria’s Decentralized Renewable Energy (DRE) Taskforce, which was launched in February to accelerate modern electricity access initiatives, met April 18 to tackle pressing challenges for the DRE sector, including a new tariff on solar panel imports.
https://www.powerforall.org/countries/nigeria/nigeria-energy-access-taskforce-confronts-tariff-challenge
Hey Matt Damon, Let’s Talk
Chances are that if you live in a remote part of sub-Saharan Africa or South Asia and don’t have access to electricity, you also don’t have access to clean water. That’s hundreds of millions of people.
https://www.powerforall.org/news-media/articles/hey-matt-damon-lets-talk
IEA Concludes DRE “Least-Cost Solution” for 75% of SDG7 Connections Needed
An updated analysis of electricity access by the International Energy Agency (IEA) concludes that “decentralised systems, led by solar PV in off-grid and mini-grid systems, will be the least-cost solution for three-quarters of the additional connections needed” to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) by 2030.
https://www.powerforall.org/insights/economics/dre-least-cost-solution-75-sdg7-connections-needed-iea
Finance Focus: Mini-grids Meet their match.com
“New investors are interested in mini-grids, but they look at companies and say ‘They are not ready for us’,” says Katrina Pielli, senior energy advisor for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). “It’s exhausting for investors to go through 16-tab spreadsheets with no two developers presenting things the same way.”
https://www.powerforall.org/insights/economics/finance-focus-mini-grids-meet-their-matchcom
Deutsche Bank joins Power for All campaign
Deutsche Bank AG, which recently received Green Climate Fund (GCF) financial support to launch a $3.5 billion debt fund for decentralized renewable energy, has joined the Power for All campaign.
https://www.powerforall.org/news-media/press-releases/news-release-deutsche-bank-joins-power-all-campaign
Extending the Horizon: Access to Finance and Kenya’s DRE Market
Our Director of Research, Dr. Rebekah Shirley, took a post-conference opportunity to explore the catalysts of growth in the Kenyan decentralized solar market. In this article, she shares key insights and reflections from KEREA, Steama.co, Azuri and Tropical Power.
https://www.powerforall.org/insights/economics/extending-horizon-access-finance-and-kenyas-dre-market
In Conversation with... Ellen Dorsey
“One For All” is a new civil society campaign that seeks to end energy poverty by ensuring universal access to clean, renewable, and affordable energy by 2030. Comprised of leaders from the global development, faith, philanthropy, women’s rights, and health sectors, One For All is inviting partners to help design and launch a global initiative to call upon mission driven investors to direct 1% of their assets in the form of grants and investment capital toward innovative projects that deliver clean, renewable, and affordable energy around the world.
https://www.powerforall.org/resources/audios/conversation-ellen-dorsey
Building Better: Why Decentralized Energy Increases Resilience
One of the most pronounced effects of a changing climate is the increase in extreme weather and other natural disasters such as hurricanes and wildfires. These disasters are not spread evenly: of the 30 countries most affected by changing weather, 26 are least developed countries. To put it another way, 423 million people living in extreme poverty are considered likely to experience the impacts of a changing climate. The tragic events of hurricane Matthew in Haiti are just the most recent example.
https://www.powerforall.org/insights/economics/building-better-why-decentralized-energy-increases-resilience
Michael Liebreich: 3 Trends in Decentralized Renewables and a Revolution
Michael Liebreich, founder of Bloomberg New Energy Finance, is a pioneer in the renewable energy industry and an inspirational evangelist for the ongoing global energy transition.
https://www.powerforall.org/resources/audios/michael-liebreich-3-trends-decentralized-renewables-and-revolution
Market Maturing for Tanzania Mini-Grids
East Africa is a leader in the decentralized renewable energy revolution, and along with India it is the most closely watched market as it relates to scaling mini-grids. This is especially true of Tanzania. What happens in Tanzania will have implications for the success of mini-grids elsewhere.
https://www.powerforall.org/insights/africa/market-maturing-tanzania-mini-grids
Decentralized Renewables & The Rise of the Micro-Enterprise Economy
Decentralized renewable energy has traditionally been under-estimated in emerging markets as only being capable of delivering electricity for home use, and then mostly for basic lighting. “Productive use”—creating goods and services either directly or indirectly for the production of income or value—has been more elusive.
https://www.powerforall.org/insights/dre-technologies/decentralized-renewables-rise-micro-enterprise-economy
Is AfDB’s new deal on energy forgetting decentralized?
In an advert this week in The Economist, the African Development Bank posted an opening for a Vice President of Power, Energy and Green Growth (VP of PEGG), who it said “will champion the New Deal on Energy for Africa and will lead the Transformative Partnership on Energy for Africa to achieve universal energy access in Africa.” Great news, right?
https://www.powerforall.org/insights/africa/afdbs-new-deal-energy-forgetting-decentralized
The Missing Link in Global Development: Energy Access Opportunity Costs
This article was originally printed in the World Post | 14 April 2016
https://www.powerforall.org/insights/economics/missing-link-global-development-energy-access-opportunity-costs
News Release: Development Bank Call to Action
Power for All Launches Call to Action for Development Banks to End Energy Poverty before 2030
https://www.powerforall.org/news-media/press-releases/news-release-development-bank-call-action