Open Source Tools to Accelerate Universal Energy Access

Time is running out to achieve universal energy access in Africa. Mini-grids have a critical role to play in bridging the gap.

Mini-grids are the least-cost method to bring electricity to over 260 million people in Africa. The mini-grid sector is ready to scale and meet that challenge. But it needs a new model of financing that allows infrastructure capital to flow into the underlying assets. 

CrossBoundary Access and our partners Shell Foundation, UK aid, and Foley Hoag, as well as Ceniarth, Rockefeller Foundation, the Renewable Energy Performance Platform (REPP), PowerGen Renewable Energy, Standard Microgrid, Norton Rose Fulbright, and Camco Clean Energy have developed an approach to allow this transformative shift in financing. But to achieve this transformation, this approach needs to be adopted widely. 

We believe “open sourcing” CrossBoundary Access’s approach will help accelerate universal access to electricity in Africa. We are therefore sharing a set of tools that we co-developed with our partners to unlock access to the $1 trillion global infrastructure capital market that mini-grids need to scale.