Pioneering Community Energy for Development in Malawi

Community energy projects are increasingly common in Malawi to provide energy access in a country with the lowest electricity access rates in the world. However, they face challenges, some of which only become apparent during the process of implementation. This chapter asks what the lessons from the combined experiences of different implementing community energy projects in different locations in Malawi are. The research took a comparative approach using primary data from five field visits to community energy sites in the districts Rumphi, Mchinji, Dedza, Mulanje and Nsanje and a literature review including project documents. The analysis shows that community energy projects have a net positive impact on communities, but they face challenges related to dealing with an inadequate regulatory system, facilitating community participation and leadership and managing unexpected events. The recommendation is to provide long-life and ad hoc support to these projects, for example, via government subsidies.