Imagine if your neighbor had extra solar power and could sell it to you through a simple plug-and-play cable. This system lets people with solar panels share electricity with those who don't have any, creating a community-owned power grid. It's like a local energy marketplace that grows as more people join in.
Rural communities in Sub-Saharan Africa lack reliable energy, leading to food waste and low productivity. Existing solar solutions are often isolated, meaning excess energy is wasted while neighbors remain in the dark.
A peer-to-peer solar sharing network (SWARM grid) and an expanded version (SWARM grid+) that connects solar home systems to water pumps, cold storage, and electric vehicles.
If you are a solar provider dealing with underutilized battery capacity in rural areas — this project developed the SWARM grid that allows users to trade excess power. This prevents the discard of 3,200 batteries and creates new revenue streams through energy trading.
If you are a manufacturer dealing with low crop yields due to lack of power — this project developed SWARM grid+ which links solar power to cold storage and irrigation. This can increase the yields of 1,000 farmers and reduce food losses for over 5,000 people.
If you are a logistics company dealing with high fuel costs for last-mile delivery — this project developed bi-directional charging for 15 light electric vehicles. These vehicles transport goods and can even feed power back into the community grid.
Based on available project data, the project focuses on affordable, modular infrastructure and analyzes context-specific business models and financial mechanisms to ensure long-term viability for last-mile communities.
Yes, the project is demonstrating replicable technical and market-based approaches across 5 pilots in Rwanda and Tanzania to support scaling across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Based on available project data, the SWARM grid was originally developed by SOLshare and MEI in Bangladesh and is now being adapted for the African context.
The SWARM-E system integrates with existing decentralized assets, including AC mini-grids and solar-powered water systems, to form a 'SWARM grid+' configuration.
The project period runs from 2024-05-01 to 2028-04-30, with the first 18 months focused on site characterization and technical framework development.
The consortium is heavily industry-driven with a 50% industry ratio (8 industry partners out of 16). It is dominated by SMEs (5 companies), indicating a focus on agile, commercializable technology rather than pure academic research. The geographic spread across 11 countries, including key African markets like Rwanda, Tanzania, and Kenya, ensures the technology is validated in the actual target markets.
Contact MicroEnergy International GmbH in Germany for licensing and partnership opportunities regarding SWARM grid deployment.
Contact us to connect with the SWARM-E consortium for pilot expansion or technology licensing.
