Energy Access
The global energy access sector is seeing promising advancements but continues to face significant challenges. Currently, about 666 million people worldwide lack access to electricity and around 2.1 billion people still reliant on traditional biomass, with the majority concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of developing Asia. Decentralised RE (DRE) solutions, like solar home systems, mini-grids, and various productive-use energy technologies, are gaining traction due to falling costs and technological improvements, providing scalable alternatives to grid expansion in remote areas. Similarly, modern clean cooking solutions, such as electric stoves, ethanol stoves and other higher-tier improved cookstoves, are gradually increasing with the support of innovative financing models, such as pay-as-you-go, microfinancing, carbon financing and blended financing making RE more accessible to lower-income households.
Despite progress, substantial barriers remain. Financing gaps, regulatory challenges such as slow licensing processes and inconsistent policies, and lack of vibrant private sector to support energy access expansion complicate large-scale DRE implementation.
How NIRAS adds value
NIRAS is committed to the SDG 7 – ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. Energy access has a profound developmental impact and demands deep analysis, contextual understanding and sensitivity to achieve lasting results. Drawing on our interdisciplinary expertise – including gender, agriculture, private sector – NIRAS brings a holistic approach to each project. We place particular emphasis on the cross-cutting targets of ‘investment’ (SDG 7A) and ‘technology’ (SDG 7B), with a core strength in the management of investments in clean energy initiatives – one of the most effective drivers of sustainable energy growth.
To accelerate energy access and foster RE deployment, NIRAS offers a broad suite of services and knowledge products. These span policy advisory, tailored financing mechanisms, private sector enterprise development, and scale-up of innovative business models and decentralised RE solutions in electricity and clean cooking in underserved areas.
We have strong experience in supporting energy access planning and strategy development on national, regional and local scale through the preparation of short, medium and long-term RE development plans and strategies. NIRAS also works with governments and public funding agencies across different regions to strengthen the enabling environment for energy access through enhanced dialogue, sector coordination and capacity building for both state and non-state actors.
Recognising the urgent need to scale up energy access in underserved contexts, we focus strongly on inclusive and dynamic private sector development through business development services, market and ecosystem innovation, value chain and market linkage creation, and facilitation of conducive business environments.
Our value proposition
Within the field of energy access, NIRAS offers the following services:
- Market assessment, pre-feasibility and scoping studies to evaluate the state of the market, challenges, opportunities and actions required to catalyse adoption of clean energy technologies in rural and peri-urban settings
- Development of short-, medium-, and long-term energy plans at local, regional, and national levels, including grid integration strategies, smart grids, microgrids, and distributed generation system
- Development of strategies and RE action plans to ensure access to adequate, reliable, affordable, environmentally sustainable energy services.
- Advisory services to create conducive environments for RE adoption, including policy formulation, regulatory framework development, and financial mechanism design
- Management of energy funds and development of financing mechanisms and business support programmes to support market and private sector development.
