Africa and Middle East — Use cases
Mini-grid and rural electrification modelling
HOMER Pro has been the standard tool for mini-grid and rural electrification feasibility since its origins at NREL in the 1990s. From Nigeria's 25 million unelectrified households to Bangladesh's IDCOL solar home system portfolio, from Kenya's KOSAP programme to Nepal's rural electrification fund, HOMER Pro is how developers, governments, and donors model the transition from no power to reliable power.
HOMER Pro and rural electrification
HOMER Pro originated at NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) in the early 1990s specifically to model hybrid power systems for remote and rural applications. The tool's core design — least-cost dispatch optimisation across multiple generation sources with explicit representation of diesel fuel cost, renewable resource variability, and battery storage lifecycle — maps directly onto the rural electrification planning problem.
The ESMAP (Energy Sector Management Assistance Program) Tier 1–5 framework for electricity access — ranging from Tier 1 (minimal lighting and phone charging) to Tier 5 (full grid-equivalent supply) — provides the load demand inputs that HOMER Pro models as it sizes the system components required to reach each tier. This framework is used by the World Bank, AfDB, and most bilateral donors in their project appraisal.
The typical mini-grid developer workflow using HOMER Pro: community load survey → demand modelling (Tier 1–5 targets) → HOMER Pro feasibility (sizing solar, battery, diesel backup) → financial modelling (tariff calculation, NPV at different load growth scenarios) → tender documentation → lender technical review → construction and commissioning baseline → operational monitoring.
Sub-Saharan Africa
Nigeria
Nigeria's Rural Electrification Agency (REA) administers the National Electrification Programme (NEP) — a World Bank-funded programme targeting 25 million Nigerians with new electricity access from mini-grids and solar home systems. The NEP's Results-Based Financing (RBF) mechanism pays developers per verified connection at the appropriate ESMAP tier. HOMER Pro is the standard modelling tool for NEP pre-feasibility studies submitted to the REA.
Nigeria's mini-grid market includes operators including Husk Power Systems, Nayo Tropical Technology, Rubitec Solar, and international developers including CrossBoundary Energy Access and Powergen (now part of ENGIE). All use HOMER Pro for initial system sizing and financial modelling.
Kenya
Kenya's KOSAP (Kenya Off-Grid Solar Access Project) — a World Bank-funded programme administered by the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC, formerly REA) — targeted 14 under-served counties in northern and northeastern Kenya. KOSAP procurement required HOMER Pro or equivalent modelling in feasibility studies. Kenya's mini-grid market has matured — with operators including PowerGen, Powerafrica, and KPLC's own rural electrification programme — to the point where HOMER Pro output is a standard component of the technical schedules in tender documents.
Tanzania
Tanzania's Rural Energy Agency (REA) administers the Rural Electrification Master Plan and manages the Rural Energy Fund. Tanzania is one of sub-Saharan Africa's most active mini-grid markets by project count, with TANESCO's (Tanzania Electric Supply Company's) connection programme complemented by private mini-grid operators including Devergy and PowerGen. HOMER Pro is used throughout Tanzania's project development pipeline.
Senegal
ASER (Agence Sénégalaise d'Électrification Rurale) administers Senegal's rural electrification programme — one of West Africa's most systematic, with concession areas for private rural electrification operators. The Programme d'Urgence d'Électrification Rurale (PURER) and subsequent programmes have driven significant mini-grid deployment, particularly in the Casamance and eastern Senegal regions.
South Asia
India
India's MNRE mini-grid policy and the RESCO models operating across Bihar, Jharkhand, UP, and Odisha represent the world's largest mini-grid market by number of connections. HOMER Pro is used by developers, NGOs (SELCO Foundation, Practical Action India), and the consulting engineering firms supporting state-level electrification programmes. See the India overview for full context.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh's IDCOL (Infrastructure Development Company Limited) has financed over 6 million solar home systems — the world's largest off-grid solar programme by number of installations. IDCOL's mini-grid programme covers larger community systems. HOMER Pro is used in the feasibility studies submitted to IDCOL for technical and financial approval.
Nepal
Nepal's AEPC (Alternative Energy Promotion Centre) manages rural energy subsidy programmes — the Rural Energy Policy provides capital subsidies for micro-hydro, solar home systems, and mini-grids in Nepal's rural hills and mountain areas. HOMER Pro models the hybrid systems (micro-hydro plus solar plus battery) that are economical in Nepal's varied resource environment.
Donor programme context
World Bank ESMAP
Energy Sector Management Assistance Program. Tier 1–5 access framework, technical assistance for national electrification planning, and direct project funding across Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
AfDB SEFA
African Development Bank's Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa. Grants for early-stage energy access project development, technical assistance for mini-grid market development.
USAID Power Africa
US Government energy access initiative across Sub-Saharan Africa. Transaction advisory, de-risking instruments, and private sector mobilisation for off-grid energy.
GIZ / AFD / FCDO
German, French, and UK bilateral development cooperation agencies. Active in rural electrification across West Africa, East Africa, and South Asia through technical assistance and concessional finance.
IRENA / GEAPP
International Renewable Energy Agency and Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet. Policy support, knowledge programmes, and multi-donor financing for energy access markets.