Ethiopia, ISA Launch Smart Solar Grid

Key Figures & Findings: The Ethiopian Ministry of Water and Energy, in collaboration with the International Solar Alliance (ISA), has launched a 100 kWp rooftop solar project equipped with bi-directional smart meters at its headquarters in Addis Ababa. The initiative introduces Ethiopia’s first system capable of both feeding surplus power into the national grid and drawing from it when needed. The installation serves as a national demonstration project for future decentralised, grid-connected solar systems, targeting residential, institutional, and agricultural adoption.

Statistics & Insights: The rooftop solar array was completed in June 2025 and features advanced metering infrastructure to enable two-way electricity flows. In parallel, the Ministry’s solar deployment efforts have connected over 10,000 households in the past nine months and supported clean-energy irrigation and cold storage pilots in Oromia and Sidama.

Future Implications: If integrated with Ethiopia’s net metering framework by Q2 2026, the project could trigger scale-up incentives for rooftop solar across urban areas. ISA’s involvement may also help mobilise concessional finance for up to 50 MW of distributed solar in Ethiopia and neighbouring countries by 2028.

Source: LinkedIn post