Annual Report 2020 Annual Report 2020 Annual Report 2020 Annual Report 2020

ENERGY ACCESS FOR UNDERSERVED & COASTAL COMMUNITIES

The access-to-energy project works to develop access to affordable renewable energy for households and businesses to improve productivity, increase income, trigger new jobs, and improve the quality of life for the communities (SDG 7).

Summary of Outcomes in 2020

Access to Energy

NGN 79 Million Leveraged

From private investors and communities to install clean energy technologies (solar energy cabins, solar refrigerators, and solar home systems) in target last-mile communities. This reduced the inequity in access to energy and improved quality of life and economic development.

NGN 12,378,800 saved

in costs of buying petrol for generators by businesses and households from using the solar technologies

595

Coastal community businesses and 461 households accessed clean energy, thereby improving their productivity and welfare, further creating 97 new jobs in the communities to provide technical and business services on the technologies.

3,395

persons accessed clean energy technologies, advancing the SDG 7 of providing universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy services.

88,800kWh

of electricity generated in the region by the partner investments and interventions in clean energy, with a combined displacement of 49.6 tonnes equivalent of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions across the Niger Delta—reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting the planet in pursuant of SDGs 12 & 13.

QUEST TO ADDRESS ENERGY CHALLENGES SOLVED

‘’My name is Kehinde Emmanuel Tayo, CEO of Vectis Business Option, a company built on the promises of renewable energy to bring power to the people of this great country. Our quest to solve energy challenges has brought us into the mini-grid-energy space to provide power for the people in the underserved and unserved communities of rural communities in Nigeria. Our partnership with PIND has brought about this relationship where we are able to reach out to more communities in the coastal region to provide them energy access to power. We are very grateful to PIND for what they have done, making our lives easy, making things easy in terms of access to communities, and then, supporting in reaching out to these communities in the Niger Delta.’’

Coastal communities are considered difficult terrains and are mostly unconnected to the electricity grid, prompting over-reliance on petrol generators with their ever-rising costs and health hazards. This situation kindles continued poverty and inequity. In every problem lies an untapped opportunity. PIND saw the opportunity to facilitate off-grid, low-carbon, low-cost solar solutions to meet local needs and launched an access-to-energy intervention that promotes economic activity in the coastal communities.

In the previous 2015 to 2019 strategic phase, PIND assessed energy requirements and possible solutions for underserved coastal communities, incentivized private renewable energy providers to develop business models specific to the last-mile customers, and fostered engagements between them and community stakeholders. This was done to secure buy-in for a demand-and-supply meet that assures long-term viability for the investors and boosts demand for renewable energy services. The engagements facilitated power purchase exclusivity agreement between eight (8) coastal communities in Bayelsa State and Delta State and two (2) different energy service providers to scale up the model—ensuring continuous access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy as desired by SDG 7.

The advent of the pandemic and COVID-19 follow-on restrictions hindered community engagements and disrupted partner engagements. PIND utilized virtual meeting platforms and telephone calls to monitor project activities and connect the stakeholders—focusing on using community leaders to market the energy models to other community members for buy-in.

Working virtually with private clean energy providers and community associations, PIND facilitated the setup of six (6) energy cabins in six (6) coastal communities. They provided reliable electricity to a group of businesses and households in the communities. The energy cabins helped them reduce business costs, extend their business hours, and power large-load appliances. The installations include:

the installations include:

A 20kW solar mini-grid at Molutehin community in Ilaje LGA and another 20Kw solar mini-grid at Gbokoda community both in Ondo State through a grant from Chevron Corporation to power its GMoU (Global Memorandum of Understanding) communities using energy cabins.
Restaurants, smoking kitchens, hair salons, retail shops, tailoring shops, butchers, micro hotels, fishing gear shops, boat spare part retailers, pharmacy shops, local booking agencies, and mobile money booths represent examples of businesses served by the energy cabins.
A 21.06kW solar hybrid energy cabin in the Lomileju community and a 19kW energy cabin in the Obe-Jedo community in Ondo State by AT&T

Success Snippet

Two (2) 20kW solar mini-grids in Awoye and Odofado communities in Ondo State using funds leveraged from the Ilaje RDC (regional development committee). This was preceded by a partner-led assessment of viable energy cabin models in largely underserved communities in EGCDF (Egbema Gbaramatu Communities Development Foundation) and Itsekiri RDCs supported by PIND and Chevron Nigeria Limited. PIND has been providing support to the RDCs in adopting the practice of funding sustainable development projects for their constituencies.
20kw of solar-powered energy cabin in Ogheye community in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State

Connection to the energy cabin increased the productivity of the businesses in Ogheye Community of Delta State by 65.6 percent. It translated to a cumulative monthly savings of NGN 270,000 for households, from reduced dependence on petrol for power generation and reduced business operating costs.

Access to energy 5 - Philip Ibikunle, Hotel owner, Ogheye
Access to energy 4 - Babalo Felix-Ogheye, the Olaja

Life is Sunnier with Solar Solutions!

‘’My name is Steven Idikunle. I am the owner of Philipcom Hotel. About a few months ago, we acquired solar electricity that we are using. And the solar light is helping a lot. Before now, we were using a generator, and we burnt a lot of fuel as a result of that. Normally, we did repair the generator, but for some time now, that has gone away. I used to use about two (2) refrigerators before, but now, I use about three (3) now. And all my systems are working very fine now.”

‘’My name is Pa Malo Felix, the Olaja of Ogheye community. This solar that came to this Ogheye community, we love it, and we are enjoying it. Before the solar came, we had generators in this community, but due to the condition of fuel, we haven’t been able to power the generator. In that case, as the solar came, we had to accept the solar, and it is okay with us. We used to have problems of diesel, but with the solar, we don’t need the diesel anymore. Solar is with us and what we do is to recharge the solar. And after you have recharged your solar, everything will be okay with you. We love the solar here a lot, and we would want the solar to stay. So, I thank the people that have brought this solar to the community.”

PIND access to energy cold rooms3

Solar cold room

Motivated by PIND, energy-provider partner Vectis Business Options installed two (2) commercial solar refrigerators (also called solar cold rooms) in Sangana and Fish Town in Bayelsa State. These cold rooms enabled the fishing communities and traders to preserve their perishable goods and reduce the pressure of racing to sell off their goods even at a loss to avoid losing them to rot.
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Pind (90)

Small solar home systems

PIND further facilitated demonstrations of small solar home systems by private energy providers to coastal communities. The solar energy systems are ideal ways of meeting basic energy needs, such as lighting and charging small appliances. They are equally suitable for micro-enterprises with low energy demands such as barbing salons, mobile-money facilities, and poultries.
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No More Buying of Firewood!

My Name is Tari Jackson. I have been living in Fish Town since 2002. And, in 2003, I started the fish drying business, which we send to Yenagoa. We are always drying fish every day. So, when we heard that there is a cold room here in Fish Town and this is really going to help us a lot because sometimes our fishes get spoiled because there is no firewood to keep it from getting spoiled and as a result of that, we lose a lot of money. So, with the availability of the cold room, we can easily rush to the cold room to preserve the fishes and bring them out the following morning to dry them, or we can just send them to Yenagoa. As for me, I like this cold room more than the fish I am drying locally. Because if I put them in the cold room, I won’t have to buy firewood anymore. This firewood I buy with money, I wouldn’t have to buy anymore.

Sustaining the energy access business model requires the availability of continuous promotion, maintenance, and expansion skills. PIND’s solar power providers trained over 50 people as village-level technicians and service agents to ensure this. They were trained to provide business support services, such as installations, and build their entrepreneurship capacity around making a business of opportunities in small-scale solar PV business solutions.

Handy Energy Cabin Customer Service!

“Our agents are always based in the station here to make sure that they provide these services to customers by recharging their meters, so they pay us. It’s a prepaid solution. So, they bring some money, whatever amount you want to buy. To buy like for your house, you come to the cabin; our staff are here. Customers can, actually, recharge their meters by themselves if they choose to, if they have bank accounts. And if they do not have bank accounts to recharge their meters themselves, they come to the cabin where we provide this service.” – Kehinde Emmanuel Tayo, CEO of Vectis Business Option

To expand access to energy to more communities, PIND collaborated with Infraenergy LLC (a private sector power developer and potential investor) to assess potential sites and business models for off-grid solar in Opia, Dagbolo, and Azama communities in Delta State. We also facilitated engagements between the developer and the community leaders to establish plans for deploying commercial mini-grids and solar cold rooms within their communities.