Energy 4 Impact has signed a contract with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to provide advisory services to mini-grid developers under Power Africa’s Beyond the Grid initiative. The contract runs from now until September 2018.

Energy 4 Impact will support NREL’s ongoing work on its Quality Assurance Framework for Mini-grids and provide advisory services to a small group of micro-grid developers operating in sub-Saharan Africa. Energy 4 Impact will organise workshops to validate different aspects of the Quality Assurance Framework and support the development of standardised products and tools to facilitate market development. The advisory services offered will include community assessment, reviews of technical design and business models, access to finance, support for the productive use of energy in mini-grids, and piloting of the Quality Assurance Framework.

Besides conducting advisory engagements with mini-grid developers, Energy 4 Impact will apply, test and train developers in the use of the Quality Assurance Framework, which has been designed to improve the safety, quality, and financial viability of mini-grid power systems to remote customers.

Background

NREL has been contracted by the US Agency for International Development under the Power Africa’s Beyond the Grid initiative to provide support to mini-grid developers and public stakeholders operating across sub-Saharan Africa. NREL will lead the work with developers to pilot the Quality Assurance Framework.

NREL sought to partner with an Africa-based organisation with experience and capacity on-the-ground to assist with implementation. Energy 4 Impact was selected to be NREL’s partner because of its strong mini-grid project experience and existing developer relationships.