Basic Electricity for the Bottom Billion

 There are about 700 million people worldwide without access to any electricity at all and another 1.18 billion people are estimated to be in energy poverty.  80% of those without any access are in Sub-Saharan Africa: Nigeria (86 million), Democratic Republic of Congo (76 million), and Ethiopia (55 million) have the highest numbers of people without access and Pakistan is home to 40% of the Asian population without access (40 million).

According to the IEA [International Energy Agency] (https://www.iea.org/commentaries/access-to-electricity-improves-slightly-in-2023-but-still-far-from-the-pace-needed-to-meet-sdg7), if current trends continue, about 660 million people are projected to still lack electricity access by 2030 and achieving universal electricity access faces significant challenges, including underfunding.

However, decentralized solutions like mini-grids and stand-alone systems are now the least-cost option for over half of those needing access while solar lanterns and chargers, smaller off-grid solar PV systems, are meeting basic and essential electricity services.

The IEA estimates around 18% of those previously without access to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa now have solar lantern or multi-light and charger systems which provide basic services but are lower power than IEA's essential electricity standards:

"Basic electricity services or a basic bundle include more than one light point providing task lighting, phone charging and a radio. Essential electricity services or an essential bundle include four light bulbs that can run for four hours per day, a fan that can run for three hours per day and a television that can run for two hours per day. Solar home systems are off-grid solar PV systems with capacity above 10 Wp [10W peak power] and meet the IEA threshold for electricity access, providing basic or essential electricity services depending on size. Solar lanterns and solar multi-light systems are off-grid solar PV systems with capacity up to 10 Wp and do not meet the IEA threshold for access. For further information on these definitions, see the IEA’s Guidebook for Improved Electricity Access Statistics."
Source:  https://www.iea.org/reports/guidebook-for-improved-electricity-access-statistics

560 million people, roughly, are without access to electricity now in Sub-Saharan Africa.  The average household size there is 6.9 people which means there are roughly 81.16 million families without access.

Here are two minimal solar lights and chargers available now in Nigeria:
$5 solar lantern and phone charger
https://www.jumia.com.ng/generic-solar-led-camping-light-tent-lamp-usb-rechargeable-bulb-portable-lantern-310220583.html

$4.60 Solar Lantern with Mobilephone Charger and FM Radio
https://www.swiftermall.com/solar-lanterns/326-solar-lantern-with-phone-charger.html

At retail, a little over $0.4 billion would provide at least minimal electricity to all those families now without access to electrical power, enough for at least a light and a cell phone.

How do we accelerate these already existing economies and marketplaces to provide basic electricity to everyone who wants it?

Grameen Bank's no collateral loans and Grameen Shakti's financing system which was successful in helping to solarize Bangladesh might be one accelerant:

"He [Mr. Gazi who runs a small shop at a village market] can afford the solar system because he earns money using it.  In addition to selling groceries at the market, he is a small-scale energy service provider, a micro-utility, serving a clientele of three.  His solar system powers four lamps, but he uses only one to light his shop.  He rents the other three lamps to his neighbors, shop owners like himself.  All four benefit from solar electricity:  Mr. Gazi from the monthly rental fees and Shakti’s easy credit terms.

"Shakti’s financial model for micro-utilities is simple and adaptable.  Micro-utility entrepreneurs need pay only 10 percent down, pay no service charge, and enjoy an extended repayment period of three and a half years.  In the case of Mr. Gazi, a branch engineer first calculated if the shop owner could make a profit after paying his monthly installment. Shakti then provided one lamp for half price to help get him started.  He paid full price for the remaining three lamps and backed the expense by renting them to neighboring shop owners.  Branch staff provided training and maintenance free of cost and were close at hand when Mr. Gazi had problems.  Today, he has repaid his loan, owns the solar system, and enjoys additional income…. their [shop owners who are micro-utilities] monthly income from renting out lamps exceeds the amount of their monthly installments."

from my notes on Green Energy for a Billion Poor by Nancy Wimmer
https://hubeventsnotes.blogspot.com/2014/04/green-energy-for-billion-poor.html

These small solar lights and charging systems are what anyone should have on hand in case of emergency or disaster, too.  After all, Solar IS Civil Defense.  A buy one, get one [BOGO] program might be another accelerant, especially if we here in USAmerica get serious about preparing for the next weather emergency in ways that adapt and mitigate climate change.

In the 1980s there was a non-profit that worked in the Dominican Republic building small-scale solar called Enersol.  One of their techniques was to use motorcycle and car batteries as energy storage.  These days, e-mobility devices like bikes and scooters could serve as "rolling batteries" just like an electric vehicle and could be integrated into a local solar microgrid.  Bicycle chargers as well. 

There are opportunities all around us if we recognize them.

We remain alert so as not to get run down, but it turns out you only have to hop a few feet to one side and the whole huge machinery rolls by, not seeing you at all.
Lew Welch

Quite clearly, our task is predominantly metaphysical, for it is how to get all of humanity to educate itself swiftly enough to generate spontaneous behaviors that will avoid extinction. 
R. Buckminster Fuller

the war that matters is the war against the imagination
all other wars are subsumed in it.
Diane di Prima