GIZ replicated the concept of swarm electrification in the state of Assam. Swarm electrification is a form of network stabilization that works through energy trading across neighbours. The basis of swarm electrification is households and businesses that generate and store their own solar energy. They are connected to each other in a peer-to-peer DC grid.

Abundant energy from one household can flow to another household where there is a shortage of electricity supply. GIZ has established two such peer-to-peer DC grids each including 15 households in Assam this summer. The project was implemented with the technical assistance of Cygni and SOLshare.

The Saubhagya – Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana scheme based on the swarm electrification concept was launched by the Government of India in September 2017. It aims to provide last mile connectivity and electricity connections to all households in rural and urban areas through grid extension. The Assam swarm electrification project facilitates in achieving the government’s goals of offering a bottom-up approach for stable and clean energy supply, especially for the marginalized communities, for whom the generation and trade of solar energy hold great promise of empowerment, economic boost and livelihood improvement. As calculated by the impact enterprise IIX Asia, each USD 1 the Assam project invested into building the peerto-peer DC grids generates an estimated social impact of USD 4.85.

For more information please contact Mr. Sudhanshu Mishra via email to sudhanshu.mishra(at)giz.de.