Green Jobs & Livelihoods & Appliances
Energy-efficient appliances and solar-powered equipment support job creation and increased incomes as they lower energy costs, strengthen economic diversification, and increase profits.
CLASP’s key stats on green jobs and livelihoods
- A CLASP-led report found that solar irrigation in India and Kenya alone has the potential to create more than 115,000 jobs by 2030.
- CLASP’s energy access programs have helped generate over 4,300 jobs.
- In a CLASP-supported survey, business owners in Uganda who purchased on off-grid refrigerators increased their daily incomes 2.5x on average.
[Photo: CLASP]
How do energy-efficient appliances support livelihoods?
Energy-efficient appliances and technologies create job opportunities and enhance livelihoods. In off- or weak-grid regions where youth unemployment is at an all-time high and populations are growing rapidly, solar appliances and technologies support new employment pathways through the manufacturing, installation and maintenance of this equipment.
Solar powered technologies support smallholder farmers and small business owners by increasing their productivity and providing additional sources of income, without the need to connect to the electrical grid. Solar mini-grids, cooling appliances and lighting power small businesses, allowing them to run machines, stay open safely after dark, and cool or cook food.
Farmers without electricity are able to increases yields with solar water pumps, create safe working areas with lighting and lower the costs of agricultural processing.
Solar machinery and equipment also helps farmers cope and adapt to extreme weather conditions such as droughts and floods.
These technologies are proven to be a driver of employment in emerging economies. According to Power for All’s Powering Jobs Census, the Distributed Renewable Energy (DRE) sector—a sector that concerns electricity generation from renewable sources at or near the point of consumption—created 374,000 direct jobs in Africa in 2022.1
CLASP recognizes the enormous potential for job opportunities in the creation, distribution, maintenance, and management of solar appliances and technologies. Our research and programs strive to expand access to meaningful, sustainable jobs and livelihoods for those living in some of the most remote and vulnerable regions in the world.
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How does CLASP’s work support green jobs and livelihoods?
Our programs work to build healthy markets for off-grid solar appliances, generating and expanding access to green jobs in the sector. CLASP programs and partnerships that have an impact on green jobs and livelihoods include:
Efficient appliances advancing green jobs and livelihoods
CLASP has identified the highest priority appliances, lighting, and equipment that are key to lowering emissions, improving lives, and building resilience to climate risks: these are the “Net Zero Heroes.” The following appliances have a profound impact on generating green jobs and improving livelihoods:
Milling, Grain, and Spice Processing
Solar-powered mills replace the need for hand-processing, significantly increasing productivity and boosting incomes.
Refrigeration enables income-generation for small retailers and other value chain actors through the storage of cold drinks, food, and other perishable items for later sale.
Solar Generators
Solar-powered zero emission generators (ZE Gen) are portable power stations that are used as individual use resources to power things like small businesses, schools, or campsites.
Solar Mini-Grids
Solar mini-grids provide access to clean energy in electricity-constrained regions.
Solar irrigation systems can result in significant long-term cost savings and increased agricultural productivity to farmers.
0. “Power for All Distributed Renewable Energy Job Report Sees Strong Post-Pandemic Growth”, Power for All, September 19, 2022. https://www.powerforall.org/news-media/press-releases/power-all-distributed-renewable-energy-job-report-sees-strong-post-pandemic-growth.