Power up: how mini-grids make energy accessible in refugee camps

In refugee camps in sub-Saharan Africa where energy is scarce, researchers dr. Elena Fumagalli and Duccio Baldi have been investigation a promising solution: mini-grids designed to provide stable, sustainable power. With energy needs far beyond the capacity of solar lamps, these solar mini-grids could support critical services, from healthcare to local businesses, transforming the possibilities for camp residents, who often live there for many, many years.

“Our goal was to create sustainable energy solutions that go beyond just providing light,” Fumagalli explained. “Mini-grids can truly support growth in these communities enabling people to improve education, build businesses, and strengthen healthcare access.”

Outdated energy possibilities

For years, refugee camps have relied on temporary and outdated energy solutions. Many rely on diesel generators or small solar lamps distributed by aid agencies such as UNHCR, providing only minimal lighting and power for charging phones. However, these options do not support long-term development. Without a reliable source of electricity, residents struggle to stay connected to modern-day society.

“There’s no clear responsibility for energy within these camps,” said Fumagalli. “Most humanitarian organizations have divisions for food, water, and shelter, but energy access has remained an afterthought. This means refugees are often left to secure energy on their own, which is a huge barrier for growth.”

The needs of residents are key

In 2022, Fumagalli launched a small research project to investigate sustainable energy options for settlements. With funding from Pathways to Sustainability and the support of Magda Moner-Girona at JRC-European Commission, she set out to design pilot mini-grid projects tailored to three refugee camps, in Malawi, Uganda and Zambia. To map out the needs of the residents, the team started with energy audits. With the help of local enumerators, researcher Duccio Baldi conducted over 1400 in-person interviews, walking through the settlements with a translator and a tablet, cataloguing everything from light bulbs to mobile phone chargers.

Reliable energy is a foundation that can help people rebuild their lives.

The team also explored what is the willingness to pay for electricity among camp residents. “Certain community businesses—like food stalls or market vendors—were especially motivated to pay for energy access,” Fumagalli noted. “These businesses could benefit directly from reliable electricity, whether for refrigeration, lighting, or even powering equipment. On the other hand, households’ willingness to pay was often influenced by socio-economical factors, including whether the families had access to electricity  before living in the camp.”

From audit to mini-grid

The proposed mini-grids can also use a combination of renewable energy sources (90%) with small diesel generators as backup to make them reduce the upfront costs. “We knew a traditional grid connection would be impossible in many areas because the camps are often far away from cities and villages,” Fumagalli explained. “By modelling different options, we were able to create realistic plans that could be scaled up or down based on the camp’s specific needs.”

Energy officers

The team’s work attracted funding from the Environmental and Climate Action Innovation Fund, allowing them to hire three local energy officers to implement and oversee the mini-grid projects in each camp.

Yet, challenges have arisen. In Malawi, for instance, the government has since decided to extend the national grid to the planned mini-grid area, requiring the project to be relocated. “In a way, it shows that we chose a good spot for the mini-grid. And now it’s up to the energy officers and the local team to find, together with the refugees, alternative locations,” Fumagalli noted.

Data platform for future projects

But the best value of this project was the data collected in the camps. “There is not a lot of open access data available in this field. Especially interviews with refugees in camps: those are rarely done. Conditions in camps can change quickly, and without accurate information, it’s difficult to plan sustainable energy solutions. So, also for humanitarian and development agencies, the data that we collected is very valuable.”

The next step is to update and expand the CEAT data platform that stores and shares the data (collected and generated over the years) on energy needs in refugee settlements. This platform will be linked soon with UNHCR’s own data and provides humanitarian workers with up-to-date information on camp populations and potential energy solutions.

For Fumagalli the work is far from finished. “There’s so much potential here,” she said. “Reliable energy is a foundation that can help people rebuild their lives. That’s what motivates us to keep going.”