Leadership and Companies
Google Maps 3.7 Million Solar Devices Across Rural Africa
Google and Ignite Energy Access are using satellite data and AI to expand off-grid solar delivery across sub-Saharan Africa.
What happened
Google’s three-year partnership with Ignite Energy Access has mapped remote homes, optimized delivery routes and identified rooftop solar systems using satellite imagery, routing models and computer vision. Ignite has delivered 3.7 million solar devices across the region since 2023. Google estimates the partnership enabled more than 160,000 tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions reductions in January-June 2026, though the estimate was not independently verified.
Why it matters
The tools address major logistical barriers to serving more than 600 million people without electricity and are now being used to model micro-grids for clean electric cooking.
Source: Google Blog