Business Models

We analyzed organizations across 6 different aspects of their business models:

• How do social enterprises make microenergy affordable to low-income customers which still operating sustainably?
• How do social enterprises get energy to BOP customers? What are the key factors in determining delivery mechanisms?
• How do social enterprises finance themselves? When do they use grants, and what determines when and whether they seek debt and equity financing? When are carbon credits an appropriate method of financing?
• How do social enterprises develop the energy products they provide? Where and how do they manufacture them? When are products customized? When are they uniform?
• How do social enterprises delivering energy solutions try to scale up? New Locations? New products? New customer demographics?
• What do organizations see as the key methods of creating impact with energy solutions? Do they prioritize bringing affordable energy to as many customers as possible or do they grow slower while trying to ensure that the energy is used productively?