Off-grid Solar Repair in Zambia - Off-grid Solar Repair

Country Overview

Zambia is a landlocked Southern African nation bordered by several nations including Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Population: 21.3 million
Electrification: ElectrZambia is currently facing a significant electricity crisis, largely due to persistent droughts caused by climate change. The country relies heavily on hydroelectric power, with the Kariba Dam being a major source. Currently, 48% of the population has access to electricity through the national grid (largely in urban centres), and a further 20% through off-grid solar.
Energy policy: The market-based distribution of solar home systems is a key strategy to address widespread energy poverty, especially in rural areas. Zambia has had several multi-lateral market support programs to drive the adoption of off-grid solar products, the Beyond the Grid Fund for Zambia is a notable example. In light of the prevailing electricity crisis, energy policy has prioritised the adoption of solar systems in urban areas, including the introduction of net metering.

This research on off-grid solar repair in Zambia is part of a 2024 Australian Research Council Linkage Project.
Solar Aid, a key project partner, is one of the earliest distributors of off-grid solar in Africa and in recent years, a pioneer in the repair of off-grid solar products. Our work will involve supporting, monitoring and assessing their efforts to decentralise their repair services to better reach their customers across Zambia. This involves initiatives such as the training of third-party technicians, hosting community “Repair Days” and expanding their mobile repair app to provide repair guidance (to customers and technicians) on a wider range of off-grid solar products.
Our research will extend to mapping the stakeholder and policy landscape as it relates to off-grid solar repair in Zambia and beyond. As demonstrated in our whitepaper on repair and State of Repair Report, Solar Aid is deeply committed to advancing repair praxis across the sector.
This project will explore opportunities to facilitate knowledge exchanges between organisations engaged in repair e.g. Zuwa Energy’s work in Malawi.

Having recently co-published a “State of Repair” report for the off-grid sector, UNSW is supporting the establishment of a “Repair Lab” for the sector in collaboration with Solar Aid and other like-minded organisations. It is a collaboration to strengthen the sector’s focus on repairable products and accessible repair services.
Our team will continue to work with Solar Aid to support and assess the impact of their repair strategy in Zambia.