The American Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) announced, on Tuesday, August 31, 2021, a grant in the form of technical assistance for the Beninese company Sherlock Grids SAS. The objective is to extend and improve access to clean energy for rural communities throughout Benin. Sherlock Grids will be working with SparkMeter, a technology provider based in

Sparkmeter receives a grant to digitize the management of green mini-grids in Benin. Its collaboration with Sherlock Grids will make it possible to analyze the feasibility of bringing solar mini-grids online for tens of thousands of Beninese people. According to Enoh T. Ebong, acting director of USTDA, this project embodies USTDA's commitment to deploying innovative solutions that connect more African citizens to clean, reliable energy. “By taking advantage of American technologies, USTDA's commitment will help mitigate the climate crisis while supporting Benin's goal of universal electrification through solar energy,” he said.

Tristan Kochoyan, CEO of Sherlock Grids, said that “as a social enterprise, what motivates us is the impact that electricity can have on rural communities. This is also very much in line with our business as a mini-grid operator: the more useful and transformative our services are, the more electricity people will consume. Technological and commercial innovations are essential to trigger this type of virtuous circle of economic and social development. We are convinced that what USTDA is helping us to achieve in Benin can help solve the electricity access crisis for millions more.” The project will also demonstrate the benefits of implementing a digitized system to fully integrate and remotely manage multiple