Date: 4 May 2023
Organizer: AFSIA
Description: Productive Use of Energy (PUE) is a means of powering subsistence economies with clean energy sources such as solar to generate income and increase productivity across different sectors including agriculture, industry, commercial and services among others. PUE solutions such as solar fridges and solar irrigation have continuously proven to business owners the ability to make money in remote areas. While SHS, Mini-grid and PUE terms can be used interchangeably, solutions such as solar-powered refrigerators and irrigation systems facilitate remote business activities and generate revenue, whereas Solar Home Systems (SHS) or Mini-grids mainly provide electricity for households, hospitals and small businesses without any direct income generation.
PUE presents a unique opportunity to drive renewable energy consumption and promote economic growth, though its adoption remains low due to affordability challenges. Access to end-user finance is key to accelerate the adoption of PUE in Sub-Saharan Africa. It may take a few years for PUE products to become commercially attractive, but some of the products are already on the right path such as solar water pumps being considered the best acceleration option compared to solar lights and TVs for poverty reduction.
Considering the above, AFSIA has compiled a “Productive Use Catalog” to enlighten the comprehension of what is productive use of energy, its different applications, how beneficial it has been for many companies/end-users and what we could expect in the near future.
