EVs and Mini-Grids
THE QUESTION
Are electric vehicles the key to unlocking financial success for mini-grids?
LOCATION: Kenya
SECTOR: Energy
TECH: Electrical Vehicles
TIMELINE: January 2019 - November 2020
PIONEER: Phil Mann
PARTNERS: Powerhive
The Challenge
30% of households in rural Kenya do not have electricity. While solar energy has often been promoted as an obvious solution for closing the energy gap, home solar systems are unaffordable to those who are most impacted by the energy gap and do not offer sufficient energy storage to provide consistent power when needed. Mini-grids are solar-powered energy generation, storage and distribution networks that provide a community with reliable energy. There is one significant problem with mini-grids: they’re expensive.
The Idea
To justify investment in rural mini-grids, an “anchor lead” is needed. An anchor load is an activity or technology that consumes enough energy and generates enough income that the mini-grid can survive long enough to become established and that energy becomes cheap enough to generate energy for household customers. Kenya’s rural economy is reliant on Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs). This pilot aimed to electrify Kenya’s LCVs to make them a more profitable and less polluting source of income, as well as providing the anchor load needed to justify investments in rural mini-grids.
The Scaling Journey
What we learned
When working with either mini-grids or EVs, it is best to try to only answer one question in your pilot. This pilot tried to answer two complex, interconnected hypotheses, which was a stretch too far.
It is vitally important to analyse local conditions before choosing a solution. This was experienced by the team when the EVs that were chosen were designed to operate in an urban area, not on rough terrain.
Instead of trying to validate a hypothesis by building demand, look for opportunities to hook into existing behaviours and economies. It will be much easier to build demand and gain support if users can adopt the tech without needing to change their routines.
All photos on this page were taken by the pilot’s implementing partner, Powerhive. Read more
Explore the step-by-step journey of the pilot – Pilot Story
Read the pilot’s initial announcement — “Can we combine solar mini-grids and a fleet of small electric vehicles to improve rural energy access and transport services?”
Learn about the pilot’s partner, Powerhive — Disrupting Rural Mobility With Solar Mini-Grids & Electric Vehicles
Read about the testing of the EVs in Kenya — Driving into the future