Start-ups bet on solar mini-grids to keep shops open after dark
Pay-as-you-go power is changing evening trade in places the main grid barely reaches.
In towns where grid power is unreliable, shops that once closed at sunset now trade well into the evening, thanks to solar .
A mini-grid is a small network of solar panels and batteries that supplies a few dozen buildings. Customers pay for power with their phones, as they use it.
Shop owners say longer hours mean more sales. "Evening is when people come back from work," said one tailor. "Now I am open when they are free."
Start-ups running the grids say the hardest part is the upfront cost of the panels and batteries. Most are funded by a mix of loans and grants.
The government plans to license 200 more mini-grids next year, mostly in rural areas.
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