21 July 2014: The Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) has published a white paper, titled ‘Power for All – The Energy Access Imperative,’ which describes an initiative by d.light, a for-profit social enterprise that designs, manufactures and distributes solar light and power products in the developing world.

The paper is intended as a call to action for policymakers, stakeholders, entrepreneurs and customers engaged in pursuing universal energy access for the billions of people worldwide without reliable power.

The paper points to an estimated cost of US$33 billion a year, or US$700 billion between 2010 and 2030, to achieve universal energy access by 2030 for those living in energy poverty. ‘Power for All’ challenges the conventional wisdom surrounding time and money required to deliver energy access; and aims to focus resources on delivering universal energy before 2030. The report reaffirms that: high electricity consumption leads to a greater wellbeing of the population; consumers will pay market prices if the market delivers reliable solutions that meet their expectations; and customers desire quality, flexibility and affordability, and appreciate small-scale, reliable solutions.

The paper explains that: any solution to deliver energy access to lower-density, rural populations in a cost-effective manner must include smaller-scale generation; and energy delivery is now able to leapfrog inefficient and expensive centralized systems.

The paper explains that while the dearth of energy access is a challenge, it also provides an incredible opportunity. If clean, renewable energy can deliver in a similar timeframe and cost as fossil fuels, it should be prioritized as a key part of the solution to deliver energy access. The paper concludes that renewable, distributed, democratized energy is more economical and effective than traditional, “steel in-the-ground” approaches in markets most affected by energy poverty.

Low-cost manufacturing, efficient clean technologies and a variety of affordable products has led to the rapid expansion of small-scale, renewable energy systems. However, while overall market penetration is still less than 10%, quality, availability and more affordability can help to change this.

The paper notes that one year of fossil fuel subsidies, which were approximately US$544 billion in 2012, could provide over one billion people with basic energy access needs for seven years.

The paper emphasizes that transforming the world energy outlook requires a shift in the way we think about energy, and that both the public and the private sectors must play a role. Regarding public sector and government agency involvement, the paper emphasizes including distributed renewables in energy policy, leveling the playing field and collaborating with the private sector, and explains that NGOs should work to fund market building, increase consumer awareness and help finance distribution. It states that investors and lenders should: mobilize capital for financing for manufacturing and consumer payments; evaluate return on investment with social impact metrics; and establish innovative instruments for distributed energy access.

Originally founded in 2006 to combat kerosene, d.light has sold over six million solar products in 62 countries and improved the lives of more than 33 million people. [SE4ALL Press Release] [Publication: Power for All– The Energy Access Imperative]