Our REACT Household Solar Programme aims to increase energy access for low-income households, supporting private sector delivery of solar home system products and services.
REACT Household Solar Round 1 has so far supported 10 companies across Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and Sierra Leone. By the end of 2020, the investees recorded an overall development impact of 66,376 households, reaching 331,880 people, saving US$44.86 million in energy related expenditure. The total net development impact was US$4.86m.
REACT HS Programme seeks to address a critical component of United Kingdom’s Department for International Development’s (DFID) Africa Clean Energy (ACE) Programme. It aims to increase access to clean, affordable energy for low-income people in Africa by promoting a market-based approach for private sector delivery of solar home system products and services in the target countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The solar home systems are stand-alone photovoltaic systems that offer a cost-effective mode of supplying clean renewable energy for lighting, appliances and cooking, to remote off-grid households for better wellbeing and livelihood opportunities for rural poor people.
The programme is in two phases;
REACT HS Round 1: With a commitment of USD 10 million (GBPs 8 million), the competition was launched in May 2017 and has funded 10 companies operating in four countries: Zambia, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe and Malawi. Implementation phase is ongoing.
REACT HS Round 2: With a commitment of USD 20.8 million (GBPs 16 million), the competition will be launched in quarter two 2019. This round will target companies in Ethiopia, Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana and Somalia.