Community Ownership models can be used to shape user preferences, backstop near term financial losses and facilitate successful operation of projects. Off-grid renewable energy power plants developed under Window 3 were implemented quickly with in-kind land contributions, and the evaluation found that users preferred this electricity over what was produced by the utility even at a higher cost. The evaluation found a strong sense of ownership and pride in the Window 3 grants, and this seemed to pair well with the technology and expertise of a seasoned grid developer/operator. In addition, the decentralized nature of GoI funding allowed for communities to use Village Funds to subsidize near term losses, which they may have been reluctant to do for assets that did not belong to them. This phenomenon matters in a place like Indonesia, where government budgets are devolved down to the village level.
Lesson Learned