Solar Mini-Grids Bringing 24/7 Power to Unconnected Villages

Husk Power Systems builds and operates solar-plus-storage (and originally rice-husk biomass) mini-grids that deliver 24/7 electricity to rural communities bypassed by national grids in India and Nigeria. Founded in Bihar, India in 2008 to turn waste rice husks into power, the company has grown into the world's largest mini-grid operator, running more than 400 mini-grids that connect over 1.5 million people and 30,000-plus small businesses. Husk's mini-grids are displacing thousands of diesel generators, avoiding an estimated 15,000 tonnes of CO2 annually, while more than 2,500 km of local distribution lines let shopkeepers, welders, and cold-storage operators run equipment for the first time.