BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 17. The "pay-as-you-go"
model transforms energy supply from an infrastructure challenge
into a service delivery model, reducing dependence on the
centralized power grid, Leila Guici, General Manager for Digital
Utilities at ClimateTech and Digital Utilities, said during the
Business Assembly session titled "Private Sector Leadership Across
the Housing Value Chain: Delivering Results Against the Odds," held
within the framework of WUF13 in Baku, Trend reports.
She stated that these technical systems provide energy for
lighting, phone charging, and running small household appliances
via solar home kits.
"These systems utilize digital payment mechanisms, such as
mobile money, allowing people to make small, incremental payments.
This makes the service much more affordable. As long as payments
are made, the user has access to electricity, and the system can be
remotely activated or deactivated," Guici explained. "We have
financed a number of pay-as-you-go models and have subsequently
seen this sector grow to its current scale. This model serves as an
excellent alternative, but several critical conditions must be met
for its large-scale implementation. One of them is recognition at
the state policy level."
She added that governments should accept off-grid energy
solutions not as a temporary fix, but as an integral part of
national electrification strategies.
"For instance, the government in Togo subsidizes pay-as-you-go
solar home systems. This approach makes energy more affordable and
helps expand its usage, enabling the system to be deployed on a
larger scale," the general manager noted.
"Another vital factor is digital infrastructure. This model can
only operate widely if a reliable mobile communication network and
mobile payment ecosystem are in place. For example, one of the main
reasons this system succeeded in East Africa is the widespread
adoption of mobile money services. That is precisely why this model
works effectively in that region," Guici concluded.
