SUNNY

Gathering 17 partners from 3 African, 5 European countries, and 2 associated countries, SUNNY is a 48-month project aiming to deliver highly replicable solutions for green energy transition and energy access in Africa. SUNNY will develop and demonstrate five Renewable Energy Technologies (TRL 7-8) tailored to local contexts in two pilot sites in Uganda and Rwanda, benefiting approximately 1,300 refugees and host community members.

These technologies are designed using circular economy and local value chain approaches to drive economic activity and ensure both long-term sustainability and relevance to local needs. For broad adoption, SUNNY emphasizes cost-effectiveness and tailored business models. Solar home systems will address basic energy needs at the household level, while clean hydrogen and biogas solutions will decarbonize cooking, improving health by reducing indoor air pollution. Refrigerated food storage and smart solar irrigation, integrated with biogas, will enhance food security and address the water-energy-food (WEF) nexus in rural African areas.

In addition to technical solutions, SUNNY will deploy holistic models and assessment methods to measure and validate the environmental, social, and economic impacts of the technologies. Capacity-building and community training will further ensure that the project’s socio-economic benefits are enduring and that local communities are equipped to manage and maintain the systems, fostering a strong potential for replicability.

SUNNY aspires to transform energy practices in Africa through a comprehensive replication plan, incorporating 15 replication cases. This plan promotes new interoperability standards for technologies and includes targeted training programs for African and EU energy access agencies, development bodies, and camp managers. Furthermore, by offering policy recommendations, SUNNY will help establish supportive regulatory frameworks, fostering a scalable, sustainable energy transition that serves African communities while enhancing resilience against climate challenges.