Off-Grid Energy Roadmap - D-Lab's Energy Assessment Toolkit

Understanding the energy needs and market opportunities in the specific off-grid community or region is the first step in D-Lab's Off-Grid Energy Roadmap. D-Lab has developed the Energy Assessment Toolkit in collaboration with Mercy Corps to guide organizations through the process of gathering the information in the following areas: 

• Current energy access and expenditures
• Aspirational energy needs
• Existing supply chain
• Community institutions and stakeholders (private sector, government, NGO) 

The Toolkit, which is open-source and available online, is intended to guide local organizations through the process of gathering the information needed to make informed decisions about what technologies and business models are best suited to meet the specific needs in their community through market based initiatives. This toolkit is designed for any organization that has an on­-the­-ground presence in an off­-grid community or region, and has the ability to take action based on the opportunities identified. This community-­based assessment approach is not intended to replace studies that track energy access on a national level, or to generate market intelligence reports for external organizations looking to expand their business or programs into new markets. 

The toolkit is designed to be modular so that organization conducting the assessment can determine the scope and scale of the assessment, and consists of the following threes type of documents:

• Data Collection Tools
• Data Analysis and Visualization Tools
• Training and Supporting Documents 

D-Lab is a program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) that fosters the development of appropriate technologies and sustainable solutions within the framework of international development.