Solar-as-a-service for the energy poor

When we think to the access to energy we must consider that often poor people can’t afford the up-front cost of the electrical connection. Simpa Networks’ innovation is a pay-as-you-go model that turns an expensive consumer product into an affordable service for energy-poor households and micro-enterprises in rural India.

The provided solar home system contains 2-3 lights, a fan and 2-3 mobile charge points. Virender, a cattle farmer in Gularia owns cows and buffaloes: “We could not monitor our cattle’s food due to lack of light and they were often poisoned by insects in their food. Now I don’t have to worry about that: with the lights on, the cattle can see what they are eating.”

Users pre-paid tariff is based on actual usage and each payment (payments by mobile phone) adds up towards the total price of the solar home system which then becomes their property at the end of the lease. Hallu and his mother live in the offgrid village of Rajmau: “We did not get grid electricity because of caste discrimination”. Ramkhiladi lives in Pinjri Nagri with his wife and 4 children: “to buy electricity connection is expensive. You’d have to pay at least Rs 15,000 (around 200 Euros) upfront to get a connection”. In this region the per-capita incomes are typically in the range of Rs 50,000 (around 700 Euros) to 150,000 (around 2,000 Euros) per year.

Shiv’s father has a samosa and sweets shop in Rahana: “We used a kerosene lamp, spending Rs 20/day (0.30 Euros) for just one light. Now by paying Rs 21/day we have 2 bright lights (instead of one dim light), one fan and a mobile charging point.”

Simpa Networks provides clean energy service to 67,500 people of which around 32,400 are women living in poor-grid and completely off-grid areas in rural and peri-urban India. They recruited and trained 100 technicians and 3,000 village level entrepreneurs.  A step to make modern energy simple, affordable, and accessible for everyone!