Sustainable Energy Markets

Our energy sector work mitigates climate change by focusing on applying renewable energy alternatives and increasingly efficient energy use. It supports adaptation to climate change through productive use of energy and decentralising energy provision, making populations more resilient to shocks caused by climate change.

Principles

There are three underlying premises:

• Achieving universal access to energy in a sustainable manner requires a broad comprehensive market lens. SNV uses a market development approach that brings together investments in demand, supply, financing, inclusivity, and the enabling environment.

• In the off-grid energy market the private sector, cooperatives, and community-based organisations play a key role, with governments in an ‘enabling’ role. We work hard to strengthen all actors in their respective roles – governments, suppliers, financial institutions, and end-users.

• SNV makes a targeted effort towards gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) by including low-income end-users, disadvantaged groups and communities, and remote regions within countries. GESI is advocated to become a key focus area in energy policies.

Technologies

Combining international state-of-the-art expertise with local know-how, SNV offers solutions for increasing access to clean and efficient energy and productive uses of energy for households in rural areas and humanitarian settings, local businesses, and local institutions through:

• Biodigesters – reducing indoor air pollution and related health hazards; improving soil fertility.

• Clean cooking solutions – supporting the shift to a cleaner mix of high and low-tier solutions.

• Solar and other renewable off-grid electricity solutions – providing access to energy for consumption and production through a mix of business models and financial mechanisms.