Context
In the world today, 1.3 billion people do not have access to electricity, while 2.7 billion people rely on firewood, charcoal and biomass for cooking and heating. This energy poverty has a dramatic effect on the quality of life, environment, health, education and income opportunities of the people affected. Without access to sustainable energy the Millennium Development Goals cannot be achieved.
The energy partnership Energising Development (EnDev) set out to support sustainable access to modern energy services in developing countries. It began in 2005, funded by Germany and the Netherlands. After it had promoted access for 5.1 million people by 2009 – thereby far exceeding its initial goal of for 3.1 million – the successful programme was extended until 2019 and additional donors signed up to it. The German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Directorate-General for International Cooperation of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DGIS) were joined by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the Department for International Development of the United Kingdom (DFID) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation participate (SDC).
Objective
In the EnDev partner countries, 15 million people will have gained sustainable access to modern energy services by 2019.
Approach
EnDev focuses on the development of commercial markets for the diffusion of renewable energies and energy-efficient technologies for households, public and social institutions, and small and medium-sized enterprises. EnDev is currently carrying out projects in 24 partner countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa. The focus is on least developed countries and Africa.
Technical solutions supported by EnDev through the country-specific projects include solar systems (photovoltaics, picoPV, solar thermal energy), grid densification, micro-hydropower, energy-efficient cooking stoves, and biogas. For EnDev, the sustainability of the energy access and of its impacts plays a central role. Other important factors are the results-orientation and competitive nature of the approaches. EnDev promotes measures which are particularly efficient, while the competitive aspect means funds are allocated according to performance. This results-based approach is linked to a transparent and detailed monitoring system, which was developed under EnDev in order to measure energy access and its impacts.
In carrying out its projects in the partner countries, EnDev cooperates closely with a number of non-governmental organisations. Among other things, these partners support awareness-raising activities and the wider marketing of technologies promoted by EnDev.
Results achieved so far
By June 2014, nearly 13 million people in private households had gained access to electricity or improved cooking stoves. Moreover, some 15,100 social institutions and 28,500 small and medium-sized enterprises now have modern, sustainable energy services at their disposal. EnDev has also provided training to more than 32,000 stove producers, craftsmen and traders. Today, stove producers and solar energy companies generate a combined monthly turnover of EUR 6.4 million from technologies supported by EnDev.
EnDev measures its success by the results attributable to the partnership programme. Energy influences almost all aspects of social and economic development: expansion of the business sector, education, gender equality, health and the environment. Since 2005, EnDev has carried out numerous impact studies in different country projects. Results identified include:
- freed-up labour time (e.g. by reducing time spent collecting firewood, or through hours gained with electric light) for productive activities such as education, agriculture, income-generation or household chores
- improved learning conditions in educational institutions, due to electrification
- increased productivity and reduced workloads, for instance through the use of water pumps, electric mills, freezers and sewing machines
- reduced indoor air pollution and respiratory diseases thanks to improved cooking stoves
- reduced number of burn-related accidents
- improved medical care, thanks to the electrification of health centres and hospitals.