Sumba Iconic Island Solar Services

The ‘Solar Services for Sumba Iconic Island’ proposal outlines a 20-month project to develop commercially oriented solar PV services for off-grid users in Sumba Island in Indonesia, with the aim of supporting sustained improvements in the livelihoods of poor rural households on this remote island, where less than half of people have access to electricity. The initiative is part of the wider Sumba Iconic Island (SII) program, which aims at 100% renewable energy and maximizing access to modern and affordable energy on Sumba. Gender equity is an integral element in achieving the well-being and productivity of the household beneficiaries.

Through this project, Hivos and its partners will develop commercially oriented services and a skilled workforce that are able to reach 45,970 direct beneficiaries in the project term (of which 45,500 will gain access to clean energy and an additional 470 will receive capacity building), and that will continue dissemination to new users after the project end. The project leverages match funding for the Investing in Renewable Energy (RE) for Rural, Remote Communities (also called the TERANG) project from the Millennium Challenge Account–Indonesia (MCA-I), which has awarded USD 4.7 million to Hivos for renewable energy promotion in Indonesia on condition of matching being provided.

This project is an integral part of the multi-year, multi-actor Sumba Iconic Island (SII) program, which aims to provide 100% renewable energy for the 750,000 inhabitants of Sumba by 2025. Managed in partnership with the Indonesian Ministry for Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR) and local governments, SII seeks to showcase a holistic and inclusive model for on- and off-grid renewable energy development, as well as the capabilities of women to capture the economic opportunities that have been made possible by this improved energy access.