Enhancing Access to Modern Energy Services through Expanding Manufacturing Capacities

Burkina Faso, Haiti

The program aimed to expand the manufacturing of energy efficient products (i.e. improved stoves and solar lanterns) and made them available to the poorest households in rural and peri-urban areas in Burkina Faso and Haiti. • Active Retailers: Total number of retailers who have been trained and were still actively selling products in 2017 was overall 369 (249 retailers and 120 key accounts). This includes: 180 in Burkina Faso (63 retailers, 117 key accounts) and 189 in Haiti (186 retailers and 3 key accounts). This was 137% of the project objective. • Product sold: Total amount of products sold through all the sales channels (retailers, key accounts and direct sales) was 50,413 (19,811 cookstoves, 13,752 LPG stoves, 16,642 solar lanterns, 207 other. This includes: 28,351 in Burkina Faso (11 005 cookstoves, 9 943 LPG stoves, 7 196 solar lanterns, 207 other) and 22,062 in Haiti (8806 cookstoves, 3810 LPG stoves, 9446 solar lanterns). This was 100% of the project objective. • Financial Services: Total number of products sold through a payment plan offered directly by the projects or by a loan or a saving service offered by a partner MFI was 33,527 including (20,810 in Burkina Faso and 12,717 in Haiti). This was 168% of the project objective. • Beneficiaries: direct end-users and relatives was 207,012 including: 113,404 in Burkina Faso and 93,608 in Haiti. This was 74% of the project objective. In Burkina Faso: The key local implementing partner of EDM in Burkina Faso, Nafa Naana (NN), received several awards during 2016 expanded its operation to three areas, Ouagadougou, Bobo-Dioulasso which can considered as urban and semi-urban areas, and Dano which is more rural. It offers a broad range of products including different solar lamps and solar lighting kits (all with a 2 year warranty), as well as every size of cooking stoves adapted to all types of fuels (wood, charcoal, gas). Accessories and consumables (gas refills) are also available. NN in 2016 distributed products through various channels: via around 63 active resellers, via more than 110 key accounts and via direct sales in 3 main stores. NN relies on a local production chain of improved stoves and imports from overseas solar products. In order to offer financial services to end consumers, NN developed an energy microloan in partnership with MFI Yikri during the project period. Moreover, NN proposes a 50% advance payment to its local suppliers and an extended credit period of 3 months to its resellers (microfranchised retailers and key accounts). These payment conditions are very often passed on to the end users who then benefit from a payment facility. Finally, various actions on awareness raising, training and social marketing are conducted to support business development. In Haiti: During the project period, PALMIS Enèji (PE), the main EDM local partner, developed its distribution network with three new main stores in the country and despite political unrest and strong competition, increased its volume of sales during the second part of the project. PE also worked with PALMIS Mikwofinans Sosyal and improved microcredit products enabling low income households to purchase clean energy products. PE also accomplished: 1)the implementation of a new Management and Information System which allows managing supplies, stocks and accounting;2) the visual identity of the social business was entirely revamped and a website targeting Haitian families was launched; 3)an innovative partnership was established with Concern international to enable victims of the 2010 earthquake to become resellers; 4)PE launched a new payment plan which enables street restaurants to purchase a professional stove in three instalments; 5) the carbon finance component of the project is now officially registered with the Gold Standard Foundation.