Energy Minister, Hon. Dr Jean Chifuniro Mathanga (first left) and UNDP Malawi Resident Representative Fenella Frost (third from left) listen to a presentation during the visit.
As part of Malawi’s launch of its Electric Mobility Regulatory Framework and Net-Metering Rules, Minister of Energy Hon. Dr Jean Chifuniro Mathanga visited UNDP offices in Lilongwe to see how the office’s solar installation is generating renewable electricity and feeding power into the national grid.
The visit brought a national energy reform into practical focus: eligible electricity customers can generate renewable power for their own use and export surplus electricity to the grid.
For Malawi, this opens an opportunity for institutions, businesses and other eligible consumers to contribute to the country’s electricity supply.
Welcoming the Minister, UNDP Resident Representative Ms Fenella Frost said the installation reflected UNDP’s commitment to putting clean energy into practice within its own operations.
It also demonstrated the link between UNDP’s support for energy policy and its implementation.
Through its Access to Clean and Renewable Energy project, UNDP supported the development of the net-metering guidelines. Its office installation in Lilongwe now provides a practical example of how an individual institution’s renewable electricity can also contribute to the wider grid.
The Minister also viewed UNDP’s electric vehicle and its charging station. Purchased more than two years ago, the vehicle was the first electric vehicle acquired by an organisation in Malawi. Together with the solar installation, it demonstrates UNDP’s practical commitment to cleaner energy and transport in its own operations.
Walking the talk: UNDP's office installation in Lilongwe provides a practical example of how an individual institution's renewable electricity can contribute to the wider grid.
During a demonstration, UNDP showcased how the system tracks solar generation, office consumption and electricity exported to the grid. At the time of the visit, the monitoring system showed that approximately 178 kilowatt-hours had been exported since the previous week.
Electricity exports vary with sunlight and the building’s energy needs. The demonstration helped illustrate how a customer can become both a consumer and a producer of electricity, often described as a “prosumer”.
Dr Mathanga welcomed UNDP’s example and emphasised the importance of participation by development partners, the private sector and communities in expanding Malawi’s electricity generation.
She noted that practical demonstrations can build confidence that these solutions are achievable in Malawi.
For UNDP, the installation is also part of wider efforts to reduce the environmental footprint of its operations through the United Nations’ Greening the Blue initiative.
Frost reaffirmed UNDP’s commitment to working with the Ministry of Energy, the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA), the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) and development partners to advance sustainable energy.
UNDP commited to working with the Ministry of Energy, the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA), the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) and development partners to advance sustainable energy.
The visit was the first item on the programme for the national launch which took place at the Bingu International Convention Centre in Lilongwe. Led by the Ministry of Energy in collaboration with MERA, the launch brought together two regulatory instruments covering electric mobility and grid-connected renewable energy.
The Electric Mobility Regulatory Framework provides a framework for the adoption of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. The Net-Metering Rules, developed by MERA, are being piloted by ESCOM.
According to the Ministry and MERA’s launch announcement, the pilot will connect 34 prosumers expected to export 3.9 megawatts to the grid.
Together, the measures aim to encourage investment, widen participation in the energy sector and support Malawi’s transition towards cleaner energy and transport.
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