Grameen Shakti: A Renewable Energy Social Business Model for Global Replication

Abstract

Grameen Shakti (Rural Energy), one of the companies developed by the 2006 Nobel Laureate, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, has since 1996 implemented an effective model to deliver renewable energy to the off-grid areas and rural poor in Bangladesh. The Grameen Shakti renewable energy program includes: solar energy through their Solar Home System (SHS); biogas for use as cooking fuel, electricity production and organic fertilizer; and improved cooking stoves (ICS). The model also includes a social business component that: creates employment; fosters entrepreneurship; empowers women, youth and communities; breaks the cycle of energy poverty; and contributes to the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals (MDG). The Grameen Shakti model is expanding rapidly in Bangladesh and has begun to be replicated outside the country. Great strides in overcoming the problem of energy poverty can be achieved by expanding the replication of the Grameen Shakti model through cooperation between governments, corporations, investors, and/or social entrepreneurs. This will help to achieve the goal of universal energy access by 2030.