Community energy provides workable strategies to facilitate a just energy transition by enabling communities to make decisions about energy resources and infrastructure. However, significant obstacles are in understanding how community energy works in real-life contexts. Specifically, there are challenges related to creating appropriate systems of governance and ensuring inclusion across different groups within the community.
The project CESET (Community Energy and Sustainable Energy Transitions in Ethiopia, Malawi and Mozambique) proposed that a living energy lab could help demonstrate and learn how to make community energy possible and sustainable over time. The project, funded by the Global Challenges Research Facility of UKRI from 2020 to 2024, co-created a Community Energy Laboratory with communities living within the city of Maputo, as a practical demonstration site to deliver theoretical and empirical evidence on what works for community energy systems.
The Community Energy Laboratory involved the installation of a solar kiosk and streetlight in Chamanculo, Aeroporto A neighbourhood, delivered by Africa Energy Services: Solar Panel and Engineering.
In the heart of the Aeroporto A neighbourhood in Maputo, residents navigate the challenges of high population density and limited infrastructure. Limited or unaffordable energy services limit access to lighting and services, increasing the sense of insecurity at night, reducing work and education opportunities, including for small businesses, reducing communication opportunities and access to the Internet and social media, and limiting access to clean cooking options such as eCooking.
Alongside electrification efforts, off-grid, decentralised solutions provide energy access that aligns with community residents' perspectives and needs. Participants explain that the decentralized solar project in Maputo proves that energy access is about much more than just "turning on the lights." It is an example of service co-production led by the community's concerns and expectations.
More Than a Container: A Hub of Opportunity
At first glance, the Solar Kiosk looks like a 12-meter shipping container. Step closer, and you’ll see a high-tech Multifunctional Solar Kiosk powered by high-efficiency rooftop panels and a robust battery storage system.
The project managers argue that the Kiosk isn't just a power station; it’s a localized economic engine. By optimizing every inch of its 36-square-meter footprint, they hope to create a diverse business ecosystem under one roof:
The project provides standalone solar-powered streetlights, which address the community’s concerns about mobility and perceptions of safety. The project worked with the community to identify the most appropriate areas for installing solar lighting, as residents expressed concerns about gender-based violence, road accidents, and the inconvenience of walking in the dark for all groups of the population, especially those with reduced mobility.
Local Governance Structures
The local committee, AEROSOL, formed to manage the project, navigated a complex web of social and institutional challenges to bring it to life, and its sustainability remains very much in question. From initial resistance and bureaucratic delays in land approval to the shifting political landscape following post-election protests, the project’s survival is a testament to the power of dialogue. However, the power of dialogue only goes so far, and serious challenges remain ahead. Universidade Eduardo Mondlane has led the delivery of the project and the co-production project and will continue as a key partner for AEROSOL.
What’s Next for Aeroporto A and AEROSOL?
We see the Community Energy Laboratory as a seed that will require care to grow. However, the introduction of solar energy services in Chamanculo may facilitate its adoption in other areas. The Kiosk could also serve as a testing site for residents to evaluate new services, such as Wi-Fi hotspots, e-mobility (electric bikes and scooters), phone charging, and piloting eCooking. We hope that the example may inspire solar entrepreneurs in Mozambique to deliver similar projects elsewhere.
