Regional : Access to Electricity with New Off-Grid Solar Technology in Central Asia

Energy /

The new 2016-2020 CAREC Energy Strategy and Work Plan aims to increase the awareness of decision makers and opinion leaders about global energy trends and recent energy innovations to promote new technologies and remove market barriers.

Off-grid electrification is today a viable alternative to grid-based electricity.

The recent technological advances in three areas- lithium-ion batteries, solar power, and energy efficient appliances - have made off-grid connection economically more viable than extending the main transmission and distribution networks, especially in the case of expensive diesel generation supplied grids.

The project will support development of a DC solar kit with DC appliances and Lithium-ion batteries.

Currently the project is in its proof of concept stage. The proof of concept will develop design, complete technical specifications, and identify DC appliances produced by reputable international brands within the target price of $1,500.

The proposed RETA will take the 'proof of concept to the pilot phase and will:

(i)test technical, financial, and economic viability;

(ii)develop financial models and plans to scale-up;

(iii)design cash flow models, plans (policy needs) for local industry development;

(iv)establish acceptable warranty levels and detailed technical specifications of kit components;

(v)develop branding and communication strategy; and

(vi)analyze willingness to pay, and social acceptability through consumer survey and focus group studies.

The pilot will include 100 solar kits in each of the 5 pilot countries.

After the pilot, and based on consumer acceptability and technical results, the project will also identify geographical areas within Afghanistan and Pakistan that may use this technology to increase access to electricity by 30,000 to 50,000 households for a scale up project and local market development.

More than 700 million people in Asia and the Pacific have no access to electricity, and a large number of them are in two CAREC member countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan. People in the remote mountainous areas of other CAREC countries also have poor access to reliable electricity. People rely on kerosene lamps for lights, when they have no access to electricity. An International Finance Corporation study notes that about 144 million people have no access to reliable electricity in Pakistan alone and that people spend about $2.3 billion annually on candles, kerosene lamps, and battery-powered flashlights. Kerosene lamps cost up to 30 times more than the inefficient incandescent bulb and 100 times more than compact fluorescent and light-emitting diode (LED) lamps. In some poor households, kerosene costs may account for up to 25% of their family's monthly income, and people in off-grid areas often travel to electrified towns to charge their phones for a fee. Further, kerosene lamps release black carbon into the environment, pollute the air inside homes, and cause lung and eye diseases. They produce insufficient light for work or study and their naked flame causes many accidents and injuries.

Small (30 or 50 watt) off-grid solar lighting systems are a popular alternative to kerosene lamps. About 4.5 million households and 25.0 million people in Bangladesh have replaced kerosene lamps with small solar home lighting systems, and about 35.0 million people in Africa have basic lighting under the Lighting Africa Program of the World Bank. In Pakistan, the Buksh Foundation initiated the Lighting a Million Lives Project to provide solar energy access to rural, unelectrified villages in the country and plans to bring electric lights to 4,000 villages and about 1 million people by 2017. The small systems only provide lighting.

Beyond lighting, modern life requires the use of mobile phone chargers, a mechanical fan, a television, and a small refrigerator. In off-grid areas, these appliances can only be operated with either electricity generated by diesel generators or a larger off-grid solar system with lead acid batteries. Both of these options are expensive and are beyond the reach of the average household in rural areas. Diesel generation is an electrocution risk and requires expert knowledge, a large fuel inventory for reliable supply, and technical knowledge to manage the generation set; a lead acid battery-based system requires battery replacement every 13 years.

Recent technological advances and price reductions in three areaslithium-ion batteries, solar power, and energy-efficient applianceshave made larger off-grid solar systems economically more viable than extending the main transmission and distribution networks, especially in the case of expensive diesel generation-supplied grids. With this new technology, millions of people may be able to stop using kerosene lamps and start producing their own electricity, leapfrogging the long wait for connection to the electricity grid. As larger solar panels have become cheaper and suppliers of lithium-ion batteries are ready to provide more than 5 years of guarantee, it is possible to design a system that can power lights, a television, and a small refrigerator; and charge mobile phones for off-grid communities.

Off-grid solar approach may soon be the preferred choice over grid-connected electricity, even in countries with 100% electrification.

The TA aims to demonstrate the technical and financial viability of this new technology combination in the CAREC region, and enable the off-grid community to move from basic lighting to a range of basic battery-operated appliances using larger solar panels and long-life lithium-ion batteries. This is consistent with other ADB investments that allow off-grid solutions as a long-term technology option on the least-cost optimization plan.

Impact the Project is Aligned with

Increased access to reliable, affordable, financially sustainable, and environmentally sound energy using new technology.

Off-grid electrification mainstreamed in CAREC countries

Viability of large-scale off-grid DC solar kits adoption demonstrated in selected CAREC countries

Open-source design available for developing new business by private sector

Off-grid electrification capacity developed

Viability of off-grid solar kits: design and technical specification of 12 Volt DC solar kits completed (Jan-June 2017); more than 6 potential suppliers identified through a process of request for information (February-July 2017); hands on demonstration of sample kits (Sep-Oct 2017); distribution and demonstration to solar kits to all five CAREC pilot countries (December 2017 to March 2018)Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyz Republic and Mongolia.

Details are here: https://blogs.adb.org/blog/electricity-box-looking-back-our-grid-journey

Business opportunity for private sector and open source platform: Private sector engaged during Asia Clean Energy Forum (Manila, June 2017), Energy Investment Forum (Astana, Kazakhstan, July 2017) and site-visit in Astana Solar (solar manufacturing company). Preliminary designs made available through social media and request for information (posted in social media) as step towards developing an open source community.

Capacity Development on Off-grid solar: Hands on training and site visits were conducted in conjunction with New Technology Study Tour, Tasmania, Australia (Nov. 2016), Manila (Asia Clean Energy Forum, June 2017), Korea (April 2017) and Dushanbe (Tajikistan). Knowledge management products (i.e., videos, blogs and interest groups through social media)

Workshops in Dushanbe and Bishkek (February 2018)

Implementation consultant fielded.

Updated in September 2018

-In June 2018, 90 solar off-grid pilot units were delivered and installed in the Kyrgyz Republic, 90 pilot units for Tajikistan in July and 80 pilot units are currently in Afghanistan waiting for distribution.

-Business opportunity for private sector and open source platform: Private sector engagement during Asia Clean Energy Forum (June 2018); 3rd Energy Investment Forum (Batumi, Georgia, September 2018).

-Capacity Development on off-grid solar: Manila (Asia Clean Energy Forum, June 2018) and Forecasting Training (Manila, JUne 2018) Knowledge management products (i.e., videos, blogs, and interest groups through social media).

-Implementation consultants completed delivery and installation of solar off-grid kits in Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan. Local consultants fielded in Afghanistan.

Please contact RETA Coordinator, Ms. Jean Centeno (jcenteno.consultant@adb.org) or Project Officer Mr. Sohail Hasnie ([email protected])

Updated in March 2020

A Women's Entrepreneurship Workshop was held on July 2019 in coordination with the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) and the Border District Electrification Project (BDEP). The objective of the workshop was to strengthen the role of rural energy in women economic empowerment.

Please contact Project Officer Mr. Sohail Hasnie ([email protected]).

Close coordination and regular consultations are to be held with CAREC ESCC member countries. Continuous creation and promotion of solar off-grid technology in social media through various knowledge products.

Interested parties may contact CAREC ESCC Secretariat through [email protected]

ADB will recruit up to four individual technical experts (one as the consultant team leader).

An international consulting firm to manage the design and implementation of the off-grid solar kits.

ADB will recruit 12 person-months of international individual experts to design the technical specifications of the off-grid kit, its packaging, and component selection criteria based on the preliminary proof-of-concept work.

Once the technical and innovative specification of the design is complete, the consulting firm will distribute, monitor, and report the performance of the pilot project in the five selected countries. The firm will deliver 24 person-months of international and 60 person-months of national consulting services, and will be selected through ADB's quality- and cost-based selection method with a 90:10 ratio and using a simplified technical proposal.