Husk Power Systems announced the launch of PRISM, an innovative containerized clean energy solution that accelerates by 100% the deployment rate of solar hybrid minigrids and C&I systems in rural and peri-urban Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
Developed by Husk’s technology center of excellence in India, PRISM (“Power Resilience and Intelligent System Management”) has already demonstrated the ability to roll out a best-in-class one minigrid per day.
Initial results from PRISM minigrids:
- Increasing monthly deployment rates by at least 100%;
- Connecting and powering 20 homes and 20 businesses within 48 hours of deployment;
- Decreasing capital expenditure per site by at least 7%;
- Reducing by 20% operational expenditure by standardizing pre-deployment design and testing.
PRISM will also be available in Sub-Saharan Africa starting in Q1 2025, including Husk’s primary market Nigeria, where the company has signed a framework agreement with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to build 250MW of decentralized renewable energy projects. The World Bank says 160,000 minigrids would be the least-cost solution for electrifying 380 million people living off the grid in Sub-Saharan Africa.
According to a Minigrid Industry Roadmap released in 2022, minigrid rate of deployment “may be the most daunting challenge” for the industry, noting that 10 companies with 10 times the current maximum rate of deployment are needed to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7), access to modern, affordable, clean, reliable energy for all.
Aside from community minigrids, PRISM is also designed for commercial and industrial (C&I) applications, either captive or grid-connected. In addition, the speed of deployment also makes it an ideal solution for rapid-response to grid failure due to extreme weather events and other climate shocks, as well as for displacement communities.
“The launch of PRISM confirms our confidence – for Husk and for the industry as a whole – to radically scale community solar minigrids and jumpstart SDG7, which is far off track from the goal of universal electrification by 2030,” said Manoj Sinha, CEO and Co-founder. “By mobilizing $1 billion and our energy technology platform, our dream of 1GW of decentralized renewable assets, including 5,000 minigrids by 2030, is much closer to reality.”
Added Nikhil Murarka, Vice President of Engineering and Innovation: “PRISM is an innovation from the Global South designed to meet the real needs of people from the Global South. AI-driven technology like PRISM is the key to delivering reliable and affordable energy in the fastest and most cost effective way possible.”
