The Initiative for Sustainable Energy Policy (ISEP) has formed a partnership with Mlinda on solar minigrids in the Indian state of Jharkhand. The ISEP advisory team will work on last-mile energy delivery to increase capacity utilization and improve the technical performance of Mlinda’s solar systems.

The ISEP team, comprising experienced practitioners and leading academics, will work for the next two years on the ground to advise Mlinda on smart meters, efficient devices, storage options, and process improvements. The project is supported by Good Energies Foundation.

The project is foundational to ISEP’s energy access work in India. Jharkhand is one of India’s poorest states, with low electrification rates and a large rural population. It is also a focus state for the Indian government and an important mining area. ISEP’s partnership with Mlinda will electrify and empower thousands of people through minigrid deployment. Mlinda has installed eight minigrids in 2017 and plans install fifty systems by 2020.