GOGLA 131d ago

The second webinar focused on the enabling conditions required to scale EaaS across the off-grid solar sector. It explored how to structure public and blended finance to support EaaS, and how to define performance metrics that align with government, donor, and private finance objectives and ensure accountability. The session featured insights from interviews with over 20 sector experts and their perspectives on operational delivery structures and risk mitigation strategies. It also presented recommendations for policymakers, donors, and companies seeking to pilot or expand EaaS initiatives, and considered how EaaS can complement existing electrification strategies. Context Although cash sales and PAYGo models have provided Tier 1 electricity access across rural sub-Saharan Africa, they remain unaffordable to, and are not reaching, the poorest and most remote communities. Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) presents an alternative approach by spreading costs over a longer time period and guaranteeing sustained energy access for customers. While EaaS is a well-established business model in developed markets and in commercial and industrial applications, its use as a service delivery model for first-time household electrification is still relatively nascent. This webinar series will present findings from an independent evaluation of EaaS for first-time rural electrification, commissioned by Energy Saving Trust and delivered by Greencroft Economics, and explore how the model can be scaled to reach underserved populations.