Response to the inquiry on Aid for community-led energy
We are responding to this call for evidence as researchers at the University of Bristol and the Federal University of Pará, Brazil, who have worked for many years on clean energy transitions, photovoltaic (PV) systems and community-run energy initiatives in LMICs. We have recently been exploring experiences of energy failures and resilience for communities in remote off-grid locations in Amazonia, specifically through two related projects emerging from a collaboration between the University of Bristol in the UK and the Federal University of Pará (UFPA) in Brazil:
The researchers on the projects include:
With insights garnered from these projects, we can offer answers to the following questions posed by the call for evidence:
We would be pleased to further discuss any elements of our response.
Summary
Our projects (see details below) led to the following recommendations to improve the success of community-led energy initiatives:
Governments:
Community associations:
Energy providers:
2. The technical benefits of microgrids
The technical and logistical challenges of extending electricity grids into remote, sparsely populated and low demand areas is immense and extremely expensive. Therefore, the use of decentralised energy systems in these locations is often the only choice. Solar Home Systems, consisting of solar photovoltaic panel(s), a power electronic converter, and a battery, are often used to feed a series of loads in an individual household. These systems are widespread across the world and often rolled out in donor or government-funded electrification initiatives, such as the Brazilian government’s Luz Para Todos (Light for All) initiative (see below). However, there are challenges with these systems. Firstly, they rely on a single set generation and storage equipment, and so the reliability of these components is critical, especially in remote areas where expertise and repairs are hard to come by. When there is a fault in this system, the household is left without electrical power. In Brazil, for instance, of the 23,000 monitored systems over a two-year period, four thousand interruptions were registered, with a mean restoration of power time of over twenty days.[1] The second major challenge with solar home systems is that power delivery capacity is often low and most of the energy is generated during the day but consumed in the evening. They thus only have the capacity for domestic loads, such as lighting, television, mobile phones and fans. This leads to a curtailment in energy generation, as once the battery is fully charged then any generated energy is often wasted, reducing the economic benefit such a system could provide.
Microgrids are interconnected systems of generating elements, storage devices and loads. As an example, a microgrid could be composed of several PV panels, distributed across a small community, with batteries located in each household/building, and both domestic and business-based loads. Microgrids are able to address the challenges faced by solar home systems, using an interconnected supply to provide a more resilient electricity service, and enabling a larger supply to provide for bigger loads, such as agricultural processing, machine tools, washing machines and refrigerators. This increased resilience and ability to support a wider variety of loads enables communities to reduce their expenses on alternative energy sources and develop new income generation streams. The challenge with microgrids is often their capital cost. However, the team at GEDAE have developed and implemented a low-cost PV microgrid, based on readily available equipment that can be expanded as capital or demand requires. This has been piloted in two sites in remote Amazon communities, Ilha das Onças and Ilha do Pacoca, and has been operating successfully for several years.
3. Environmental, economic, and social benefits
Our research in Brazil revealed that before PV solar systems were implemented, residents relied heavily on diesel generators, which are expensive, noisy, polluting, and often unreliable due to fuel supply issues. By shifting to solar-based microgrids, the community dramatically reduced its carbon footprint and exposure to harmful emissions, preserving the Amazon’s biodiversity that they rely on for their livelihoods.
Economically, decentralized energy systems have reduced dependence on external energy sources and lower energy costs over time. Households that once spent a substantial proportion of their income on fuel can now redirect those funds toward education, food, or business ventures. Though renewable technologies like solar require higher initial investment, they prove to be cost-effective in the long run, especially when considering life-cycle costs. The operational costs of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems are relatively low compared to diesel generators, which are subject to price volatility. Solar power has opened up new economic opportunities for residents; access to electricity, even intermittently, allows for the preservation of perishable goods such as fish and açaí berries, which can then be sold in distant markets, thus expanding trade opportunities. This in turn contributes to economic development by increasing energy security and access to services like healthcare, education, and communication. Likewise, the capacity to charge phones and stay in touch with markets or family members far away is not just a convenience, but a vital tool for social inclusion and empowerment. The microgrid has moreover created a local economy of knowledge and service: community members have been trained in system maintenance, which has created jobs and built their technical capacity. These improved conditions have reduced rates of urban migration as a result.
The social impacts have been equally significant. With access to electricity, students can study at night, families can refrigerate medicine and food, and residents can access distance learning and digital communication tools. This has improved health outcomes, educational attainment, and overall quality of life. The adoption of clean energy has also reduced risk of respiratory diseases caused by diesel generators or open fires; it likewise reduces the risk of fires from kerosene lamps and electric shocks from faulty generators. Importantly, the governance model initiated by residents of Pacoca Island—rooted in participatory decision-making and transparent management—has deepened a sense of community ownership and collective responsibility. Their governance model included the creation of a community energy committee, monitoring of energy data to establish energy decision making, developing a finance model, technological training, a system of guidelines and rules and an activity plan.
Despite its many advantages, the microgrid model is not without vulnerabilities. The Amazon’s tropical climate poses a persistent threat to infrastructure. Heavy rainfall, high humidity, and intense heat accelerate the wear and tear on batteries, wiring, and control systems. Moreover, in a context where technical support can be days away by boat, any malfunction risks extended outages.
The long-term success of microgrids depends heavily on sustained community motivation and governance. The absence of reliable and well-regulated supply chains for solar equipment creates a precarious market environment. In some cases, the lack of warranties or guarantees for equipment, as well as the unregulated nature of the vendors selling solar PV systems, means that residents may be exposed to substandard or faulty products. This creates uncertainty around the technology’s long-term viability, discouraging wider adoption.
Furthermore, microgrids are not “set-and-forget” systems; they require regular maintenance, financial management, and adaptation to changing needs. If community leaders move away or lose interest, or if younger generations lack training, the system may fall into disrepair. In some cases, unfamiliarity with the technology, security concerns, and deep-rooted cultural beliefs about energy practices can hinder adoption. Successful implementation requires not only the provision of technology but also a clear understanding of the cultural context, efforts to engage and educate the community, and to foster trust and participation.
Financial barriers remain a central challenge. While the long-term operating costs of solar energy are low, the initial investment in panels, inverters, batteries, and ICT infrastructure is substantial. Most residents cannot afford these costs upfront, and there is currently little institutional financing tailored to such contexts. Even government programs designed to support energy access – such as the Luz para Todos initiative - often prioritize rapid deployment over sustainability, focusing on the number of systems installed rather than their long-term performance.[2]
Another emerging issue involves cybersecurity and digital literacy. As the microgrid incorporates remote monitoring tools, automated billing, and even discussions of blockchain-based contracts, the system becomes more exposed to cyber threats. Safeguarding such systems in low-resource settings demands not only technical solutions but also training and community readiness.
5. Examples of successful programs and comparative models
The microgrid systems implemented and observed during our research in Brazil is part of a growing movement of decentralized, community-governed energy systems across the Global South. Initiatives such as Brazil’s Luz para Todos (Light for All) program has made significant strides in expanding access, but its top-down design has often struggled to reach the most remote and socially excluded areas. In contrast, the microgrid and community managed model, such as that piloted in Pacoca Island as part of our research, is tailored to the local context—small-scale, participatory, and adaptable. Residents have developed informal networks to acquire and maintain solar PV systems. This decentralized approach to energy infrastructure has allowed them to bypass formal regulatory and supply chain barriers, creating a form of self-sufficiency and resilience despite external challenges.
There is a growing trend of solar cooperatives in other parts of Brazil and Latin America. These cooperatives allow communities to pool resources to buy and install solar panels, reducing the cost burden on individual households. Such initiatives foster social bonds while also providing reliable, renewable energy to households that might otherwise be excluded from the formal energy grid. These cooperatives could serve as models for isolated communities in Brazil and globally, where communal support could help overcome the financial barriers to solar energy access.
Other international examples reinforce the viability of this approach. In India, the Barefoot College trains women from rural communities to become solar engineers, combining technical education with gender empowerment. In the Himalayan region of Zanskar, a mix of solar and micro-hydro energy supports sustainable livelihoods while respecting local ecosystems and governance traditions. These cases, like Pacoca’s, highlight the importance of not just technological solutions, but also cultural integration, inclusive governance, and long-term planning.
6. Challenges to the implementation of decentralized energy systems
Institutionally, current energy policies often fail to recognize the distinct needs of small, off-grid communities, offering little flexibility or support for bottom-up initiatives. As observed in the case of the Luz para Todos and Mais Luz para a Amazônia programs, short-term policy targets focusing on initial investment costs can lead to the failure of long-term sustainable energy solutions. While solar PV systems are more cost-effective over time, government initiatives often emphasize lower upfront costs, favouring the installation of diesel generators or the expansion of the national grid, which may not offer lasting benefits. This creates a situation where communities remain locked into suboptimal energy solutions that do not address the underlying challenges of energy security and sustainability.
Perhaps the greatest challenge is ensuring community capacity. Microgrids demand more than passive consumption—they require active participation. This includes technical know-how, governance structures, accountability mechanisms, and a shared commitment to maintaining the system for the collective good. Without sustained training and support, these human systems can falter, even if the technology functions perfectly.
7. Strategies for scaling and sustainability
To overcome these obstacles, a combination of technical, financial, and institutional strategies is essential.
On the technical front, systems must be robust, modular, and locally maintainable. Wherever possible, they should integrate renewable resources that match the local environment—solar, wind, micro-hydro—and be supported by reliable ICTs for monitoring and management. Automation can reduce the burden on human operators but must be paired with training to ensure understanding and oversight.
Financially, new models are needed. Microcredit schemes, community energy funds, and public-private partnerships with clearly defined ESG goals can help reduce the cost barrier. Government programs must move beyond installation targets to emphasize long-term functionality, community ownership, and life-cycle costs. Solar cooperative initiatives in the Amazon, a model undertaken by communities participating in our research, have allowed communities to pool resources for solar installations, reducing costs and increasing local ownership.
At the institutional level, policies must recognize and support community energy as a legitimate and valuable complement to centralized systems. This includes legal recognition of community energy associations, integration with public service programs (e.g., healthcare, education), and the creation of dedicated support networks or technical extension services.
Finally, the social dimension must be prioritized. Peer learning, transparency, gender inclusion, and participatory governance are not add-ons—they are core to the sustainability of decentralized energy systems. This means training local technicians and building robust support networks are crucial for overcoming this issue. Pacoca Island’s success rests not only on kilowatts generated, but on the community’s capacity to manage, maintain, and evolve the system over time.
8. Conclusion
Our research has revealed what is possible when communities take control of their energy futures. Against the backdrop of chronic infrastructural neglect and environmental vulnerability, riverine families in Brazil have built microgrids that lights homes, power livelihoods, and strengthen social bonds. Their experience challenges conventional wisdom about how energy should be delivered in remote areas. It suggests that resilience is not a product to be installed, but a process grounded in local knowledge, democratic governance, and technical innovation. While solar PV systems have proven transformative in addressing some of the energy challenges, there are still significant barriers, including high costs, lack of skilled maintenance, and insufficient public support.
Both our projects used quantitative and qualitative methodologies to explore energy resilience in remote and low-income communities of the Brazilian Amazon, specifically among off-grid riverine communities in Pará (Ilha das Onças, Abaetetuba, and Tucuruí) and Amazonas (Tefé) states. Recognizing that many Amazonian regions remain disconnected from the national electricity grid despite rich renewable energy potential, the research investigated how forest-dwelling populations experience and adapt to insecure energy access. We also considered how energy challenges intersect with broader socio-political and cultural dynamics. The objectives were to explore not only the benefits of clean energy transitions, but also the risks, the challenges of scaling up, and the policy and technical strategies required to ensure their long-term sustainability.
We discovered that many of these territories are home to innovative, community-driven solutions that challenge the assumption that large-scale, centralized systems are the only viable path to electrification. In particular, these communities utilised PV (photovoltaic) systems, not as independent households, but as community systems – known as microgrids - which provide a more resilient energy source due to their modularity, configuration diversity and increased storage capacity. During the solar microgrid governance component of the project, we developed a pilot study within one community (Pacoca Island, Pará), where local residents, in partnership with the Group for the Study and Development of Energy Alternatives (GEDAE), co-developed a solar microgrid system to bring clean, reliable electricity to the community, but also track its communal governance. This was an important continuation of the first project which revealed that sustainable energy solutions must go beyond technical fixes to address embedded social practices, local expectations, and long-term resilience strategies. Both projects aimed at providing policy insights for more effective, equitable, and culturally sensitive energy interventions.
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[1] https://www.gov.br/aneel/pt-br/centrais-de-conteudos/relatorios-e-indicadores/distribuicao/relatorios-distribuicao
[2] Although there is a national policy in Brazil launched in 2003 to provide universal access to electricity – the Luz para Todos (Light for All) program - the 2010 census reported that around 716,000 households remained unconnected, most of which hailed from the Legal Amazon (Instituto de Energía e Meio Ambiente 2019). While this has more recently been addressed with a 2020 initiative Mais Luz para a Amazônia (More Light for Amazonia), all systems that are implemented are household systems and never collective of community managed systems such as microgrids.