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Publication - Making Solar Equipment for Productive Use Available in Rural Areas
From energypedia
Title
Making Solar Equipment for Productive Use Available in Rural Areas
Publisher
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
Author
GOPA Worldwide Consultants GmbH, Arepo GmbH
Published in
June 2023
Abstract
Most of the companies that offer solar equipment for Productive Use of Energy (PUE) are based in the country’s major urban center Abidjan. Potential customers in rural areas can hardly be supplied by these companies due to the geographical distances. Furthermore, potential customers feel more reluctant to buy expensive equipment from a supplier they don’t know and can’t have an easy contact with. To address this problem, the project increases the capacities of the so-called Agriculture Service Centers (CSAs). The CSAs were set-up and partly financed by the GIZ project ’Green Innovation Centers’ in a cooperation with the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA) and Maximizing Opportunities in Cocoa Activity (MOCA) in 2021. They were created to provide equipment, machines, and agricultural inputs to rural farmers. The GIZ Green People’s Energy (GPE) initiative identified the CSAs as potential partners for the distribution of Productive Use of Energy (PUE) equipment in rural areas. Therefore, the project wants to strenghten their capacities in handling solar equipment and creating potential business models for their sale to rural customers. The CSAs are to act as mediators in rural areas to facilitate sales, provide close aftersales service, and supply spare parts for various equipment. The project has broadened the knowledge of the participants in many ways. This includes, on the one hand, the teaching of basic practical technical skills, which were promoted through demonstrations. On the other hand, business development capacities were strengthened, especially in the areas of marketing, sales, business strategy, and business reporting. Challenges in the project include building CSA's reputation as a reliable PUE equipment supplier due to past poor quality experiences from other suppliers, and the financial constraints of farmers and SMEs in the region. While CSAs have become stronger suppliers, they lack trained staff for maintenance and after-sale service. Training programs are limited in building technical capacities and can disrupt participants' businesses. Major manufacturers and suppliers from cities distribute low-quality PUE equipment in the region, leading to competition and negative perceptions. Imparting technical knowledge is essential, but comprehensive training is feasible only for simpler solar appliances. Practical examples and post-training support are desired by participants, necessitating clear communication about available support.
Project
Publication is not related to any specific project.
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