Webinar: Energy-as-a-Service - Learning from SolarAid’s Light a Village Pilot in Malawi
2026-01-28 16:00 - 17:30 (Africa/Johannesburg) | virtual
Although cash sales and PAYGo models have provided Tier 1 electricity access across rural sub-Saharan Africa, they remain unaffordable to, and are not reaching, the poorest and most remote communities. Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) presents an alternative approach by spreading costs over a longer time period and guaranteeing sustained energy access for customers. While EaaS is a well-established business model in developed markets and in commercial and industrial applications, its use as a service delivery model for first-time household electrification is still relatively nascent. This webinar series will present findings from an independent evaluation of EaaS for first-time rural electrification, commissioned by Energy Saving Trust and delivered by Greencroft Economics, and explore how the model can be scaled to reach underserved populations.

Webinar 1: Learning from SolarAid’s Light a Village Pilot in Malawi
The first webinar will introduce the EaaS model and draw on lessons from SolarAid’s Light a Village pilot in Malawi, which delivered universal, first-time electricity access to rural households in an area where 97% of population had no prior electricity access. In this pilot, SolarAid is responsible for installation, maintenance, and customer service, while households and schools pay a nominal daily fee to activate their system. The pilot has been funded through several phases by a range of partners, including through the national Ngwee Ngwee Ngwee Fund. The session will present key findings from the pilot, drawing on operational lessons and customer usage / payment data. It will also delve into insights around affordability, utilisation and sustainability, based on the research report’s analysis of how EaaS can be designed to maximise cost-effectiveness and impact.
Speakers:
Laura Fortes, GOGLA
Jakub Vrba, Energy Saving Trust
Ed Day, Greencroft Economics
Daphne Pit, Greencroft Economics
Brave Mhonie, SolarAid
Austin Theu, Government of Malawi
Mfumu Kuseni, GIZ / EnDev Malawi

EEP Africa Knowledge Week
2026-02-10 - 2026-02-12
Tune in to EEP Africa Knowledge Week, a dynamic series of online events spotlighting emerging themes, entrepreneurial perspectives, and innovative projects in the clean energy sector across Southern and Eastern Africa.
Join them from 10–12 February 2026, 14:00–15:30 GMT+2 each day, for engaging sessions that highlight both sector trends and the lived experiences of entrepreneurs driving change.
Agenda:
10 February: “Scaling Charging Infrastructure for E-Mobility in Africa”
11 February: “EEP Africa's Call for Proposals Launch and Awards”
12 February: “Digitalisation & Artificial Intelligence in Energy Access”

Webinar: Energy-as-a-Service - Scaling EaaS across the off-grid solar sector
2026-02-18 16:00 - 17:30 (Africa/Johannesburg)
Although cash sales and PAYGo models have provided Tier 1 electricity access across rural sub-Saharan Africa, they remain unaffordable to, and are not reaching, the poorest and most remote communities. Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) presents an alternative approach by spreading costs over a longer time period and guaranteeing sustained energy access for customers. While EaaS is a well-established business model in developed markets and in commercial and industrial applications, its use as a service delivery model for first-time household electrification is still relatively nascent. This webinar series will present findings from an independent evaluation of EaaS for first-time rural electrification, commissioned by Energy Saving Trust and delivered by Greencroft Economics, and explore how the model can be scaled to reach underserved populations.

Webinar 2: Scaling EaaS Across the Off-Grid Solar Sector
The second webinar will focus on the enabling conditions required to scale EaaS across the off-grid solar sector. It will explore how to structure public and blended finance to support EaaS, and how to define performance metrics that align with government, donor, and private finance objectives and ensure accountability. The session will feature insights from interviews with over 20 sector experts and their perspectives on operational delivery structures, and risk mitigation strategies. It will also present recommendations for policymakers, donors, and companies seeking to pilot or expand EaaS initiatives, and consider how EaaS can complement existing electrification strategies.

Webinar: Success stories in solar-powered agriculture
2026-02-19 10:00 - 11:30 (Europe/Amsterdam)
On the occasion of the launch of the Coalition for Action report “Solar-powered Agri-food Systems: Seven Success Stories”, this webinar will bring together stakeholders from the energy and agriculture sectors to explore evidence from real-world case studies on business models, financing mechanisms, and enabling policy conditions that support the scaling of renewables in agriculture.
Agri-food systems are a major consumer of energy, primarily derived from fossil fuels, while also being highly susceptible to the impacts of climate change. Transforming both food and energy systems is essential to achieve universal access to nutritious food and affordable energy in alignment with climate and nature goals. Agrivoltaics – the dual land use for solar PV and agricultural production – is an effective tool to address these interconnected challenges. Participants will share practical experiences that highlight the importance of user-centric business models tailored to local circumstances.
