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should be employed to make remote electricity services sustainable. The remote electricity services (RES) model
allows for the residents, a national electric utility, and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to work together
in ensuring that remote citizens continue to enjoy the benefits of electricity services by using technologies that
are appropriate together with preventative maintenance systems and local involvement of the end users.

INTRODUCTION
Despite the marked progress in delivering electricity over the past decade there will still be more than 600
million people who will not yet have access to electricity come 2030 . The rate of electrification will need to be
significantly increased and would be further exasperated following the outcomes of COVID 19. The methods
and approaches employed to reduce the number of residents without electricity would not be enough and
in some instances are not applicable to address the remaining challenges for delivering electricity services.
Hence, different approaches to narrow the disparity of electrification are lacking and will need to be developed.
This paper presents a framework for not only providing electricity access to the remaining communities
without electrical power, but it also identifies a mechanism to ensure the longevity and sustainability of the
electricity systems that may have already been installed in off-grid areas.

REMOTE ELECTRICITY SERVICES AND THE SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGE
Remote villages, since they are unable to connect to the continuous power grid systems often utilize micro
and mini grid electricity solutions. The implementation of the small village electrification solutions is also
further challenged by the dispersed housing arrangements, need to integrate affordable and technically sound
designs, the homogenization of a reliable electricity supply with a successful community enterprise to render the
implementations sustainable and the establishment of a standard for systems implementation. To resolve the
operational complexities of unreliable electricity supply, expensive fuel, and unavailability of specialized frequent
maintenance, renewable energy (RE) technologies are considered the appropriate and most economical options.
The adaptation of RE technologies in remote societies intends to capitalize on a cheaper source of power
generation due to cost declines because of the evolution of technologies and rapid policy advancements.
Additionally, the advancements in RE technologies are resulting in increased installations in the non-remote
areas and a corresponding price reduction for all. Moreover, the RE technologies are subjected to supply
chain bottlenecks (increase in steel prices, escalation in shipping costs, resource availability, etc.), and are
being presented as the electricity solution to reduce emissions and combat climate change. Over the years
the implementation of the RE technologies in remote villages also suffers from the deprivation of widespread
community acceptance, lack of local expertise to complete equipment maintenance, inadequate frameworks
for sustainable management to support continued utility, the absence of a mechanism that would ensure the
ascribed social, cultural and economic benefits are delivered, and the non-existence of a plan to deal with the
disposal of damaged batteries and solar panels to mitigate any environmental hazards.
SUGGESTIONS AND INSINUATIONS ABOUT REMOTE ELECTRICITY SERVICES
A study interviewed 138 individuals and 16 groups across 29 RE projects in 10 Sub-Saharan African countries
2
and presented that 80% of the sample interviewed experienced a failed RE project while the remaining 20%
were unsure of the project’s efficiency. This study ultimately summed up that RE technologies failed due to
no or minimal communication among the beneficiaries, financiers, government, and developers; and the
inability to achieve the intended societal benefits. Hence, for RE electrification projects to be successful in
remote communities then they should consider the following:

• RE technology development should encompass not just the technically feasible options but also allow
for capacity development through which residents can identify sustainable options in the context of the
community and are educated on the technology, its operation, and benefits, so that the community may
reap societal gains.

2 Ikejemba, E.C.X., Schuur, P.C.: The empirical failures of attaining the societal benefits of renewable energy development projects in sub-saharan africa.
Renewable Energy 162, 1490–1498 (2020). https://doi.org/10. 1016/j.renene.2020.08.052

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