Through collaborative partnership, Standard Microgrid (SMG) and Zambian Rural Electrification Authority (REA) have launched a new business model in Zambia that is community managed and considered an off-grid micro utility business which can be implemented in rural settings throughout Africa. It entails individuals designing their own power subscriptions in accordance with the appliances they need, when they need them, and how much they are willing to pay. Partners are working together to implement the use of proprietary technology to monitor the systems remotely and manage demand, enabling the delivery of maximum benefits per kilowatt hour of energy produced to the 7,000+ customers thatSMG already serves. Meanwhile, selling energy as a service allows service offerings with the highest value per unit of energy, resulting in more efficient grid management and ultimately better services offered to more customers. 

Learn more about what makes the Standard Microgrid (SMG) and Zambian Rural Electrification Authority (REA) so innovative in the UVA Darden School of Business’s Ideas to Action article.