Sustainable and Socially Resilient Minigrid Franchise Model for an Urban Informal Settlement in Kenya

Abstract

This article provides a case study of an environmentally sustainable and socially resilient minigrid distribution model to serve communities in an urban informal settlement in Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya. The process of designing resilient and sustainable urban solutions must account for the different needs, requirements, and barriers common to informal settlements, our understanding of which suffers from a severe lack of data. Therefore, we use an interdisciplinary approach, integrating a wide range of methods including: surveys, sensor-based monitoring, energy system simulation, policy analysis, and evaluation of a proposed business model. Conducted in collaboration with the Kibera Town Center (KTC), we collect unique primary electricity production and usage data to analyze informal settlement electricity demands. However, unlike previous literature in informal settlements that focuses on residential energy, this research focuses on critical, centralized community-scale energy that supports schools, water delivery, and livelihoods. Furthermore, under a policy change in Kenyaâ€TMs Energy Act 2019, this minigrid now has the opportunity to expand and sell power to the local community under new business models. When scaled, our proposed innovative minigrid franchise business model can support microenterprises and return agency to slum dwellers. Our research is guided by the following questions: