Renewable energy for remote communities: A guidebook for off-grid projects

As of 2021, 675 million people worldwide had no access to electricity. In order to achieve the objectives of UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7, and accelerate efforts to deliver universal access to modern energy across the globe, it is essential to determine the most suitable approaches to connect last mile settlements that are remote from the grid or are unlikely to benefit from grids being extended to their homes.

This report provides analysis of nine, sustained off-grid projects providing electricity to remote communities around the globe. It aims to contribute to a greater understanding of viable, replicable delivery models and their success factors.

The report finds that community engagement and ownership in such projects is essential to developing and sustaining DRE projects for last-mile electricity provision.

This guidebook was developed by IRENA in consultation with ARE. Input, feedback and support were received from Natural Resources Canada (NRCan).