2022 Mini Grids for Half a Billion People

Abstract

This book is packed with actionable information for decision-makers, and it is the World Bank’s most comprehensive and authoritative publication on mini grids to date. The objective of this comprehensive knowledge package is to present road-tested options and examples from the leading edge of mini grid development. Decision-makers can draw on these options and examples to scale up mini grid deployment in their own contexts. By acknowledging different national approaches to mini grids and providing context-specific considerations for implementation, this suite of knowledge products offers an adaptive approach to helping countries achieve their electrification targets. The book is structured as follows. The overview presents a global market outlook for mini grids and introduces the 10 building blocks that need to be in place if mini grids are to be scaled up in any country. These building blocks also represent the 10 frontiers for innovation for the sector, where, with disruptive digital solutions across all 10 frontiers, the services offered to end users can be raised to a level substantially better than what would be possible with alternatives. In the Handbook, the terms “building blocks” and “frontiers” are used interchangeably. Chapters 1–10 present the 10 building blocks in detail and answer the question how do we scale up mini grid deployment to connect half a billion people by 2030 Chapter 11 is our call to action.