Read more at Mongabay

• Project Goal and Scope: U.K.-based charity SolarAid aimed to demonstrate the viability of distributing and maintaining renewable energy in rural Africa by providing solar electricity to every home (nearly 9,000 households) in Kasakula, Malawi.
• Widespread Adoption: The project has successfully installed solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in all 9,000 households in the remote, low-income village, which previously relied on paraffin lamps and candles.
• System Components: Each installation includes a rooftop solar panel, an LFP (lithium iron phosphate) battery hub with USB outlets, a tube light, and two LED lamps, with options for expansion kits for larger appliances.
• “Energy as a Service” Model: Customers make a small weekly payment (approx. 40 cents/week) for access to the power. If payment lapses, the system automatically shuts off. This revenue is intended to cover ongoing operational and maintenance costs.
• Local Empowerment: SolarAid trained 50 local people to carry out the installations, provide maintenance, and manage customer service, ensuring the project’s local sustainability.
• Financial Barrier Removal: The “energy as a service” model makes the system accessible, as the upfront cost of buying an equivalent system (up to $150) is unaffordable for most farming households that earn less than $200 cash income annually.
• Disposal Challenge: A major long-term obstacle is the lack of formal regulations for the safe disposal of used PV components in Malawi. While SolarAid uses less toxic LFP batteries and plans for future recycling, the informal remanufacturing of traditional lead-acid batteries (used by other vendors) releases dangerous levels of lead into the environment.
• Future Scalability: Project leaders believe the model is sustainable and scalable, but expanding to other regions will require overcoming challenges related to securing adequate investment and accessing foreign exchange to import standard components.