Mobilizing Social Assets for Productive Use of Renewable Energy in Rural Tanzania

About this grant

Over the last decade of off-grid energy development in Africa, an important ingredient for the success of off-grid renewable energy has been elusive. Energy entrepreneurs have not been able to adequately assess the ability of off-grid, rural communities to receive, make good use of, and pay for new energy services. Better market and social assessment tools are needed to address this barrier. This project will support the University of Michigan, in partnership with the University of Dar es Salaam, to provide assessment tools for off-grid energy providers as they develop new energy systems. The Universities of Michigan and Dar es Salaam will work collaboratively with rural communities, local experts, and international partners to secure rural livelihoods through productive use of renewable energy.