This study analyses the achievements made in six mini-grid projects supported by the ACP-EU Energy Facility in Tanzania and Madagascar to understand the increase in Productive Uses of Energy (PUE) and the impact that energy access has had. In rural areas, the trajectory of demand growth is gradual, meaning that achieving commercial viability does not happen in the short-term timeframe of 2-5 years that development financiers are operating within. Therefore, developers invest in PUE.

This discussion paper identifies the key elements needed to increase uptake of improved biomass cook stoves in the ACP-region, primarily in Sub-Saharan Africa. To succinctly address issues surrounding biomass cookstoves in sub-Sahara Africa, this paper will be limited to Tier 1 and Tier 2 cookstoves that use either firewood or charcoal or both.

Affordable, optimal sized battery solutions have become the main constraint for a green energy transition on a global scale and political and economic factors are increasing incentives to invest in developing the technology. This paper describes the general principles of battery technology, provides an overview of those most frequently used in off-grid electrification in developing countries, and provides examples of projects supported by the ACP-EU Energy Facility that make use of these.

This paper addresses the complex discussion around energy efficiency for the poor, addressing: How and why energy efficiency is relevant, what energy use patterns are for low income households and the activities they are undertaking, the experiences of the ACP-EU Energy Facility projects in implementing energy efficiency measures, and the opportunities for the promotion of energy efficiency for rural end users.

This discussion paper raises some of the key considerations on how energy access interacts with water access (the ‘water-energy nexus’, interaction between energy and water resources), on how some of the Energy Facility projects have improved water security, and on the business models used. It reviews some of the main energy uses in connection with the water value chain: energy for water pumping, energy for hot water, energy for water purification and treatment and also addresses hydro-power.

This discussion paper tries to raise some of the key considerations on how energy access interacts with agriculture: How energy inputs increase agricultural production? Which energy inputs are most relevant for agriculture products transformation and which are their effects? What are the lessons learned from growing energy crops specifically from ACP-EU Energy Facility (EF) Jatropha projects?‍ Finally, it discusses current trends and paths forward concerning the ‘energy-agriculture nexus’.

This paper discusses the Institutional Capacity Development (ICD) efforts of projects supported by the ACP-EU Energy Facility (hereafter EF), and identifies lessons learned and forward-looking recommendations. The experiences (positive or negative) from the EF supported projects can provide useful inputs for the further design of ICD programs targeting improved energy access to the poor urban and rural areas.

This discussion paper covers the way in which public services in developing countries are affected by electrification and to what extent these impacts are understood today. It is based on experiences from the ACP-EU Energy Facility that has supported energy access projects in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP).‍