Over the past decade, many pilot projects and village-level donor interventions have been conducted by development
agencies, programmes and research institutes like GIZ, EnDev and A2EI, on the productive use of (renewable) energy (PUE) in rural off- and on-grid electrification. The objectives of these projects have centred around enhancing the financial feasibility and economic impact of energy access. The feasibility and impact of the PUE measures themselves have also been examined. It is well established that PUE initiatives increase the socio-economic impact of electrification. PUE reduces workload, increases income and generates employment opportunities, along with other positive outcomes pursued under the heading of rural development. Experience also shows that the omission of a well-integrated PUE strategy can often minimise the intended impacts of rural electrification programmes in Africa.
