The overall aim of the project is to develop the Rural and Renewable Energy Agency into an effective and efficient organisation with the capability to implement and fulfill its important mandate. A pilot program of solar rural electrification will demonstrate those governance structures, and is expected to electrify 1,500 households in rural areas.

Importantly, the strategy document and Master Plan will be used to garner and guide further financial and technical support of Liberia’s energy sector from donors, the private sector, and partner governments.

Implementer	RREA – Rural and Renewable Energy Agency
Donors and budget	EU (1,284,522Euro), total budget planned: 2,025,000 Euro
Start and end date	August 2011 to April 2016
Aims/objectives	The overall objective is to develop the newly established Rural and Renewable Energy Agency (RREA) into a strong, independent, efficient, and sustainable organisation capable of achieving Liberia’s target of increasing access to modern energy services in the rural areas. Governance to arrive at a strategic and transparent approach, adequate routines, and fully vetted documents and plans for RREA’s work, having the Masterplan as Increased access to modern energy services in off-grid areas: pilot Sustainable Solar Market Packages (SSMP) project alongside the World Bank’s SSMP pilot project to increase access to sustainable electricity Building the RREA’s capacity and ability to implement the rural energy strategy and master plan for Liberia.

Results and Impact

The Rural Energy Master Plan was launched by the newly established Rural Renewable Energy Agency. It can be found

16492 solar products were provided to retailers for sale and 42.72 kWp were installed through 9 stand-alone solar systems and 9 street lights in Zorzor district.

32 local retailers have received business support to distribute and market solar lighting project.

The project aimed to support the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of Liberia in increasing access to reliable health care in rural and peri-urban health facilities in Liberia through providing modern, affordable and sustainable energy sources to the facilities. The project will establish a database of all rural and peri-urban health clinics energy needs; install solar PV in rural and peri-urban health clinics; capacity building of all stakeholders in Solar PV technology; establish a solar maintenance unit; and raise community awareness.

Implementer	Medical Emergency Relief International (Merlin) ; Save the Children (last 8 months);
Donors and budget	EU ( 1,489,866 Euro); total planned budget 2,000,000
Start and end date	August 2011 to September 2014
Aims/objectives	Access to round the clock health care services in rural and peri-urban communities through providing sustainable energy sources at the health facilities; capacity building of key health staff and communities to ensure sustainability of the project; To establish a solar energy maintenance unit at the MOH&SW to support facilities in equipment maintenance.
Geographic coverage	In all counties of Liberia
Target groups	Rural and peri-urban communities and their health facilities

Results and Impact

204 health facilities have received PV systems and 1215 local people have been trained in the PV maintenance. The PV-electrification has improved the quality of the offered. Sustainability has been integral in the design by a central maintenance unit but as the Ministry of Health could not fund the unit GIZ committed to temporary run the unit.

The Lighting Lives in Liberia (LLL) Project is carved under the World Bank and International Finance Corporation financed Lighting Global Program, implemented by the Rural and Renewable Energy Agency (RREA) from 2012 to May 2017.

The program aimed at helping to facilitate a commercial market for Ligthing Global approved solar lighting devices, while making such products more affordable to the local market. On a commercial basis, the project seeked to distribute about 100 000 pieces of the products, targeting low income off-grid rural dwellers who currently rely on rekosene lamps, candles, dry-cell batteries and other inferior sources of lighting.

Under this program, retailers from the private sector were supported with business strengthening trainings, grants and marketing support, road shows were organized to boost the sales of solar products.