Rural Energy Foundation (REF) facilitates access to renewable energy to rural households in sub-Saharan Africa. Since 2007 REF has facilitated access to solar energy for more than 500,000 people at a cost of less than EUR 3 per connected person. Since 2003 REF has worked to understand and then address the structural issues in the domestic solar energy market in Sub Saharan Africa, focussing on quality, distribution and affordability.
 
Taking a hands-on approach, REF has:
(1) advised and helped hundreds of rural entrepreneurs to start and expand solar energy enterprises;
(2) initiated and completed numerous promotion campaigns to boost demand for solar energy;
(3) piloted consumer credit schemes.