On 2 July 2019, the Kenya Ministry of Energy and the Green Mini Grid Facility Kenya hosted a Workshop entitled “Productive Use of Energy Applications in Off-Grid Energy Systems Workshop,” which focused on the opportunity and challenges in rural electrification, economic development and mini grid businesses in Kenya. The purpose of the workshop was to facilitate dialogue between critical public and private sector actors needed to develop scalable, financially and environmentally sustainable solutions for increasing access to electricity in rural areas, on grid and off grid, that create greater opportunity for Kenyans. Find the report of this event, as well as the Presentations made during this day.

The report argues that Kenya shows that the global microgrid market is ready for significant private investment.

This State of the Global Mini-grids Market Report 2020 aims to raise awareness about mini-grids, mobilizing investments in the mini-grid sector and serving as a benchmark to measure progress in the sector for decision-makers. It provides the latest updates on the global mini-grids market and highlights key trends in the industry that, together, can stand as the definitive
source of information for stakeholders. The authors of this report were commissioned to conduct the research between October 2019 and April 2020 and produce the report on behalf of the Mini-Grids Partnership (MGP).

I-DEV, a partner of the GMG Managing Entity, has published a report on solar electrification in Kenya. It highlights the growing interest and viability of energy solar solutions.

The guidebook provides information on how to licensing a mini-grid energy service company in Kenya

The New Climate Institute, released in Nov 2019 the report named "The role of renewable energy mini-grids in Kenya’s electricity sector". It states that mini-grids in addition to being the most cost-effective option for achieving rural electrification in some areas, mini-grids could also have positive economic and social impacts, including synergies with national development objectives and the SDGs. Find out more by downloading the report.

Decibels 60, spun out from Acumen, and its partners, published this report in Feb 2020. This is an impact report rooted in the voice of the customer. Here you will find data drawn from almost 35,000 interviews of customers served by 49 off-grid energy companies. These companies work across 17 countries, from as far west as Haiti and as far east as India. The most represented region is sub-Saharan Africa, where the off-grid energy sector is largest and arguably most dynamic, followed by South Asia. https://60decibels.com

With this report, the Africa Minigrid Developers Association (AMDA) is opening the door to a new era in the mini-grid sector. This report shows how mini-grid companies are rapidly reducing costs and are already significantly cheaper on a per-connection basis in rural areas than their state utility counterparts. We also show the immense need to support regulatory streamlining across Africa, without which, achieving universal access in a timely manner will not be possible.

This report was produced by Danish Energy Management (DEM) on behalf of the European Commission. This study analyses the achievements made in six mini-grid projects supported by the ACP-EU Energy Facility in Tanzania and Madagascar to understand the increase in PUE and the impact that energy access has had:

- SDG1: Mini-grid access has improved the quality of life for 70% of the communities that have been connected to the mini-grid in Tanzania and Madagascar. A quarter of households reported that they had more disposable income, which was primarily spent on food and school fees. Twenty percent of households reported an improvement in health services.

- SDG5: As users of energy, women value convenience and lighting for studying, as well as the time saved from travelling to charge mobile phones. Women entrepreneurs report being empowered to provide additional services dependent on electricity and an enthusiasm to expand their businesses, despite a self-reported lack of knowledge or finances.

- SDG7: The introduction of electricity access to the six projects areas has resulted in a 97% reduction in the use of kerosene and 89% reduction in the use of battery powered torches. Solar home system usage reduced by 90%, indicating that the quality of light and convenience is valued cost.

- SDG8: The workforce of the MSMEs interviewed had increased by 2.5 times, which they attributed primarily to a more diverse portfolio of activities to meet local demand, and increased revenue. The opportunity to become self-employed was valued, both due to the independence to determine how much time was spent on which activities but also due to a better income per hour of work put in.

For more information, please download the report from DEM.

The Access to Energy Institute (A2EI) and its partners started a study in May 2019 to understand exactly which agricultural technologies can be solar powered. The result of that endeavor is this paper: Ten products were selected for study, of which two are presented here. The remaining eight will be released in the coming months. Find out more from A2EI website: https://a2ei.org