From passive to active: Public rooftops at the heart of the energy transition

For decades, electricity demand in Kinshasa has far exceeded the supply available through the grid. Public buildings account for a significant share of this demand — one that power providers are still unable to fully meet. It is not uncommon for government employees to climb five flights of stairs because elevators are out of service due to a lack of electricity.

Many public institutions also struggle to pay their electricity bills, causing significant financial losses for grid operators. The government has even set up a joint commission to address the management of water and electricity consumption by official institutions.

Following discussions with the management of the National Electricity Company (SNEL), Resource Matters committed to exploring sustainable electrification solutions for public buildings in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The idea is straightforward: to examine how public buildings could harness solar energy by installing rooftop solar systems to meet their own electricity needs — transforming them from passive consumers into active energy producers.

To this end, Resource Matters launched two prefeasibility studies for the electrification of buildings belonging to two key institutions: the National Electricity Company (SNEL) and the Higher Institute of Applied Technology (ISTA). The aim is to compare the costs and benefits of installing solar panels with those of electricity from the national grid and diesel generators.

This initiative is part of a broader effort to identify and promote practical solutions to the severe electricity deficit facing the DRC. Since 2019, Resource Matters has mapped existing energy infrastructure, assessed the country’s energy potential and electricity demand, and evaluated clean and affordable electrification options nationwide. The results are available on the Congo Epela platform.

This policy brief summarizes the main findings of the study and offers concrete recommendations for policymakers. A full version of the prefeasibility studies — conducted by the Reiner Lemoine Institute (RLI) in collaboration with Resource Matters and the management of the two institutions — is available via this link.

📘 Read the complete note available in french only.