ENGIE Energy Access Rwanda, the market leader in pay-as-you-go solar industry in Rwanda, has committed to connect more households to off-grid solar energy so as to contribute to the achievement of the government target to have 100 per cent population access energy by 2024.

Speaking during the Global Off-Grid Solar Forum and Expo at Kigali Convention Centre, on October 19, Sylvie Kanimba-ENGIE Energy Access Rwanda Country Director-said the forum and exhibition is an opportunity for Rwandans to learn about the affordable solar products and systems that can boost access to electricity to transform their lives.

This forum was organised by the government of Rwanda through the Ministry of Infrastructure in partnership with GOGLA-a global association for the off-grid solar energy industry and World Bank.

ENGIE Energy Access Rwanda, which is participating in the forum and Expo, rebranded from Mobisol after acquisition.

Mobisol Rwanda launched its services in Rwanda in 2014.

After acquiring Mobisol, ENGIE Energy Access products were branded as "MySol” products.

"When we debuted on the Rwandan market in 2014, electricity access was at 20 per cent. Today we are at 74 per cent including on-grid and off-grid energy. We have contributed a lot to this achievement,” she said.

This forum and expo, Kanimba said is an opportunity to showcase ENGIE Energy Access products that have played a big role in scaling up off-grid energy in Rwanda.

"The expo is also an opportunity to share experience so that we work together to boost the uptake to be able to meet the 2024 target of Rwanda to connect all people to energy. We have so far 33,000 clients in Rwanda and we want to double thanks to subsidies to contribute to the target achievement,” she said.

Kanimba said that ENGIE Energy Access Rwanda is working with the government of Rwanda to subsidise solar products for people under Ubudehe categories 1 and 2.

Beneficiaries from Ubudehe 1 category are subsidised by 90 per cent, Ubudehe 2 by 70 per cent and Ubudehe 3 by 45 per cent.

The subsidies are provided through the Development Bank of Rwanda (BRD) under Renewable Energy Fund (REF) financed by the World Bank.

It aims to supply 445,000 off-grid systems and benefit an estimated 1.8 million people.

"Some areas are not yet connected to the national grid. However, these households both in urban and rural areas can light their houses, charge phones and radio sets using solar energy.

"Households, even when connected to the national grid, can also use solar energy at homes using our solar products to cut costs on on-grid electricity bills,” she said.

A glance at ENGIE Energy Access products

ENGIE Energy Access currently operates in nine countries of Africa namely Nigeria, Benin, Ivory Coast, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Zambia.

The company has so far transformed the lives of more than eight million people through clean energy and installed 45 MW of solar capacity.

Gillian Alexandre Huart, the CEO ENGIE Energy Access, said that with solar home systems and solar kits, households pay in instalments as they get money under ‘pay-as-you-go’ approach.

"The second product we have is a mini-grid which can connect different households at once. In villages powered by our mini-grids, there are milling machines, welders, hair salons, restaurants and bars among other small businesses that generate income,” he said.

He said that they also have appliances to transport and store fishes, solar-powered treatment water facilities, fish drying machines, freezers, cold rooms among others.

According to Huart, they have set up mini-grids in Tanzania, Nigeria, Zambia, Benin and Uganda.

ENGIE Energy Access, such as in Rwanda, offers the widest range of PAYGo solar home systems in homes including phone chargers, lights, radio sets and torches powered by solar energy.

At work, it offers solar energy to schools, health centres, offices and small businesses among many others services.

"Instead of using a candle to get light, we offer solar kits that provide light, charge phones and radio sets,” he said.

"We have a vision to connect 100 million people with solar energy solutions by 2030,” Huart said.

Enabling environment for off-grid solar sector

Speaking at a panel on "An Evolving Enabling Policy and Regulatory Environment for a maturing off-grid sector,” Huart said there should be subsidies and incentives to be able to scale up off-grid solar energy.

"Without incentives, it is very difficult to reach the one left behind,” he said.

He added that they are also piloting carbon credits with different organisations.

Carbon credits, by their turn, enable companies to offset emissions from their own operations.

The basic premise arises from the Kyoto Protocol, an international treaty that enabled organisations to mutually trade carbon credits.

This allows one company to purchase from another the amount of credits needed to fully or partly offset GHG emissions inherent to its activities.

The calculations are simple: one carbon credit is equivalent to one ton of carbon dioxide (CO2) not released into the atmosphere.

ENGIE, for example, offers carbon credits generated by its renewable energy projects registered with the United Nations Organisation’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).