Desalegn Alemayehu

Pioneered Ethiopia's first community solar power initiative in rural areas

Desalegn Alemayehu (b.1975) is an Ethiopian engineer whose solar energy projects transformed rural electrification. Starting in 1998, he developed low-cost solar systems for villages lacking grid access. His organization Rural Energy Ethiopia has installed over 50,000 solar units, powering schools and medical clinics. Alemayehu's modular designs use locally available materials, reducing costs by 40% compared to imported systems.

His work inspired Africa's first solar microgrid network, documented in the UNDP case study here. The World Bank featured his model in 2012 as a best practice for off-grid electrification. Despite challenges with funding and technical expertise, Alemayehu's persistence has brought light to over 250,000 people.