Harnessing the sun: Addressing sociotechnical barriers to off-grid solar power deployment in Mozambique

TY - JOUR

T1 - Harnessing the sun

T2 - Addressing sociotechnical barriers to off-grid solar power deployment in Mozambique

AU - Salite, Daniela

AU - Cotton, Matthew

AU - Kirshner, Joshua Daniel

N1 - © 2025 The Author(s).

PY - 2025/6/3

Y1 - 2025/6/3

N2 - Mozambique has substantial solar power potential (23,000GWe) yetonly 83MWe of installed capacity (representing 2% of the total3623MWe generation capacity). Meanwhile, 44% of thepopulation has electricity access, making Mozambique one of theleast-electrified countries. Efforts to scale-up off-grid solarphotovoltaics and improve rural electrification face keysociotechnical challenges. Using interview data from 33 nationalstakeholders, we identify the key policy, inter-agencycoordination, socio-cultural development, and institution-drivenactions needed to overcome these challenges. We introduce theconcept of a ‘social multiplier effect’ to explain how small-scaleelectricity access improvements increase public demand for gridbasedelectrification, demonstrating how this can drivesocioeconomic benefits to rural and peri-urban areas. We call forcoordinated actions from policy and market actors, advocatingfor policy coherence and increased private sector involvement toboost investment, regulation and innovation in off-grid solartechnologies, ultimately achieving universal electricity access andimproving social development outcomes in Mozambique.

AB - Mozambique has substantial solar power potential (23,000GWe) yetonly 83MWe of installed capacity (representing 2% of the total3623MWe generation capacity). Meanwhile, 44% of thepopulation has electricity access, making Mozambique one of theleast-electrified countries. Efforts to scale-up off-grid solarphotovoltaics and improve rural electrification face keysociotechnical challenges. Using interview data from 33 nationalstakeholders, we identify the key policy, inter-agencycoordination, socio-cultural development, and institution-drivenactions needed to overcome these challenges. We introduce theconcept of a ‘social multiplier effect’ to explain how small-scaleelectricity access improvements increase public demand for gridbasedelectrification, demonstrating how this can drivesocioeconomic benefits to rural and peri-urban areas. We call forcoordinated actions from policy and market actors, advocatingfor policy coherence and increased private sector involvement toboost investment, regulation and innovation in off-grid solartechnologies, ultimately achieving universal electricity access andimproving social development outcomes in Mozambique.

U2 - 10.1080/2157930X.2025.2514919

DO - 10.1080/2157930X.2025.2514919

M3 - Article

SN - 2157-930X

JO - Innovation and Development

JF - Innovation and Development

ER -