Project Detail

Michimikuru Solar Homes Systems Finance Project.

Kenya lies astride the equator and has great potential to use solar power for lighting, refrigeration and water heating. Only about 4% of the country?s 4.5 million rural households have some form of electricity. The UNDP GEF Small Grants Programme sponsored a community project to demonstrate that grassroot communities living far from the grid can benefit from solar electricity, and in many cases are ready to use soft loans for this purpose. This project is a step towards popularizing solar energy in rural areas.
This project is part of the main funded one and was launched for the Coordination of activities with all consortia members and follow-up on repayments from the SACCO.

Project Snapshot

Grantee:

Solarnet

Country:

Kenya

Area Of Work:

Climate Change Mitigation

Operational Phase:

Phase 2

Grant Amount:

US$ 5,000.00

Co-Financing Cash:

Co-Financing in-Kind:

Project Number:

KEN-GEF-03-004

Start Date:

8/2003

End Date:

2/2004

Status:

Satisfactorily Completed

Project Characteristics and Results

Gender Focus

All groups are benefiting from the project as the households are now able to save money that would have otherwise been used to purchase kerosene. Women won't have to fill lamps with kerosene and replacing wicks or mantles anymore, time-consuming tasks with high risks of fire breakages. The youth are especilly helped in this project in that they can study using better lighting.

Policy Impact

Kenya is in the process of polishing up its first comprehensive energy policy, a process that was initially facilitated by the Environment Unit of UNDP in Nairobi. While Kenya should pursue hydro electricity for rural electrification, there is a lot of room to diversify, and use other renewable energy such as solar or wind. In this example, the GEFSGP has demonstrated that solar energy for lighting, refrigeration and water heating should not be ignored, and the biggest lesson is that many community members are ready to take soft loans for it.

Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples

N/A

Notable Community Participation

The community got the solar panels on credit from the credit. They reimbursed using their proceeds from tea bonus, which is paid once a year.

Capacity - Building Component

The community will learn how to use renewable energy technologies in form of high quality solar home systems and will be sensitized about mitigation of global climate change.

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods

The installed solar systems gives the beneficiaries the opportunity to set up small business (like mobile phone charging, using computers for business etc.)microenterprises hence earning money for a living. Furthermore the households are able to save more money by using low-cost energy, save on dry cell batteries, kerosene, and wet cell batteries.

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment

The mitigation of global climate change is addressed through this project and the community will know about the connection between solar power and the protection of the global environment.

Project Results

April 2004: 300 households receive solar home systems and save US$ 20,000 a year.
In Nakuru, 150 homes received solar power on a 50% grant basis, while in Meru, a tea cooperative received credit to install solar power for some 150 members who repay using
proceeds from tea. They are in the third rollout of the revolving fund, managed by an NGO, (SolarNet) jointly with the tea cooperative. Both projects collectively save some
US$ 20,000 that the 300 homes would have used in fossil fuels such as kerosene, purchasing dry and wet cell batteries and charging mobile phones.

Kenya is in the process of polishing up its first comprehensive energy policy, a process that was initially facilitated by the Environment Unit of UNDP in Nairobi. While Kenya should pursue hydro electricity for rural electrification,there is a lot of room to diversify, and use other renewable energy such as solar or wind. In this example, the GEFSGP has demonstrated that solar energy for lighting, refrigeration and water heating should not be ignored,and the biggest lesson is that many community members are ready to take soft loans for it.

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