The paper suggests that output focused approaches, financial innovations, bundling of projects for concentrating energy loads, adopting standard processes and metrics, developing necessary infrastructure, and building local technical capacity are a key to enhancing the effectiveness of the solar PV programs This paper, based on extensive literature review and survey of selected programs, shares the experience and lessons of solar PV programs for rural electrification in South Asia – both at the regional and country levels – and also presents a comparative analysis to exploit the cross learning potential. However, there have been implementation challenges including technical, financial, institutional, and governance barriers. While conventional grid extension has been the predominant mode of electrification in the region, the countries have also extensively used solar photovoltaic (PV) technology for energy access. Such a situation continues to exist despite several initiatives and policies to support rural electrification efforts by the respective country governments including use of renewable energy technologies. South Asia accounts for 37% of the world's population without access to electricity. We observe that robust institutional arrangements, strong policy support and an effective maintenance and oversight mechanism have been the key contributing factors for the success of this initiative. The paper, based on extensive literature review, interview with key stakeholders and field visit to selected remote forested villages in the state of Chhattisgarh, shares the experiences and lessons of the solar mini-grid programmes for rural electrification in the state by comprehensively analyzing multiple dimensions of the programme such as coverage and trend, technical designs, institutional arrangements, financial mechanism and operation and maintenance aspects, which were key to the success of the solar mini-grids. This paper makes a modest attempt to examine the development and operation of the solar mini-grid model for enhancing electricity access in India, with special focus on the state of Chhattisgarh. Chhattisgarh state in central India has alone been able to electrify around 1400 remote and forested villages through solar mini-grids. Under Remote Village Electrification Programme of Government of India, around 12,000 villages and hamlets have been electrified using renewable energy. However, solar photovoltaic technology has also been used for providing electricity access in remote, forested habitations and islands. We observe that robust institutional arrangement, strong policy support and an effective maintenance and an oversight mechanism have been the key contributing factors for the success of this initiative.Ĭonventional grid extension has been the predominant mode of electrification in India. The work, based on extensive literature review, interview with key stakeholders and field visits to selected remote forested villages in the state of Chhattisgarh, shares the experiences and lessons of the solar mini-grid programme for rural electrification in the state by comprehensively analysing multiple dimensions of the programme such as coverage and trend, technical designs, institutional arrangements, financial mechanism and operation and maintenance aspects, which were key to the success of the solar mini-grids. This chapter attempts to examine the development and operation of the solar mini-grid model for enhancing electricity access in India, with special focus on the state of Chhattisgarh. The state of Chhattisgarh in Central India has alone been able to electrify around 1,400 remote and forested villages through solar mini-grids. Under the Remote Village Electrification Programme by the Government of India, around 12,000 villages and hamlets have been electrified using renewable energy. Conventional grid extension has been the predominant mode of electrification in India.
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