Case study
Increasing Renewable Investment
Using Real-World Data to Plan the Next Step in Renewable Investment
Background​
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Action Health Incorporated (AHI) is a long-standing nonprofit dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of young people across Nigeria. For an organisation whose work frequently involves community programmes, training sessions and service delivery, reliable power is essential, not just to keep the lights on, but to sustain the organisation’s social mission.
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Faced with rising energy tariffs and unreliable grid supply, AHI made a bold move: they chose to operate primarily off-grid, relying on a combination of solar power and a diesel generator. Their generator currently runs 5–8 hours per day, consuming significant fuel and cutting into already limited programme budgets.
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AHI had invested in solar early, and enee.io survey responses confirm that solar is their most-used energy source–but the charity still lacked the information needed to optimise this setup. They had no visibility into how much energy they consumed, what they spent daily, or how much the generator was costing them. This left them unable to plan, forecast, or make confident decisions about further renewable investment.
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In short, AHI had the will to reduce diesel dependence and emissions–but lacked the data to make the next step possible.
Challenge​
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AHI’s energy system before enee.io was characterised by high generator dependence and low visibility, creating several operational hurdles:
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1. Heavy reliance on diesel
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Generator run time: 5–8 hours daily
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Over half of site energy comes from solar, but diesel is still a major cost driver
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2. Very limited insight into performance
AHI had:
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No understanding of daily energy costs
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No visibility into daily usage
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No tools to track cost-saving opportunities
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Only moderate confidence in annual cost planning
This meant decisions were based on intuition, not data.
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3. High desire for forecasting and analytics
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Survey responses show strong appetite for:
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Cost forecasting
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Usage breakdowns
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Fault alerts
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Detailed analytics
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Environmental concern was rated 5/5, confirming strong alignment with investing in cleaner energy.
AHI wanted to reduce diesel use, improve reliability, and justify future renewable investment–but lacked the hard facts to guide that transition.
Solution: Using enee.io to Right-Size Their Renewable Future
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enee.io provided AHI with comprehensive, real-time data on usage, costs, and emissions, along with the Right-Sizing Tool, enabling the organisation to simulate future upgrades and assess financial and environmental impact with clarity.
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1. Full visibility into usage, costs & emissions
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The system now provides:
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Exact breakdown of solar vs generator contributions
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Daily cost and usage information
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Emissions tracking
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For the first time, AHI can see how much diesel is costing them–and how much their solar installation is already saving.
Figure 1: Energy profiles for the site with over half of the energy at the site is provided through solar but strong dependency on diesel
2. Forecasting that enables financial planning
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Year-ahead forecasting generated by the system shows:
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Expected diesel cost over 12 months: ₦46 million
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Annual costs avoided through existing solar: ₦29 million
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This gives AHI a clear financial picture for budgeting, grant applications and operational planning.
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3. Data-driven investment planning
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Using the enee.io Sizing Tool, AHI can model future upgrades. Simulation shows that by adding 30 kW of additional solar:
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Annual running costs fall by 43%
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Capital investment is repaid in 1 year 6 months
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Diesel dependence drops dramatically
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This transforms renewable expansion from a guess into a strategic, quantifiable decision.
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4. Proven emissions-reduction impact
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Right-sizing also reveals the sustainability benefits:
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Current annual emissions avoided: 63 tonnes COâ‚‚e
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With an extra 30 kW of solar: 112 tonnes COâ‚‚e avoided
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Nearly doubling the environmental impact
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This strengthens AHI’s case for climate-aligned grants and impact investment.
Figure 2: Using enee.io’s Sizing tool, AHI can estimate the cost benefit of further investment in solar.
Figure 3: The Sizing tool provides the predicted emissions reduction through installing additional solar.
Impact
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Thanks to enee.io, AHI now has the visibility and intelligence they need to transition away from diesel and deepen their reliance on clean energy.
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Quantified Improvements
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₦29 million annual costs avoided through existing solar
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₦46 million forecast diesel expenditure now visible and trackable
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43% reduction in running costs possible with additional solar
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1.5-year payback period for the next investment phase
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Emissions avoidance increased from 63 to 112 tonnes COâ‚‚e with expansion
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Strategic Benefits
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Clear evidence to support going fully off-grid
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Stronger financial planning for grants and operational budgeting
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More confident decision-making around solar expansion
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Ability to model both cost savings and climate impact
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Conclusion
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Action Health Incorporated demonstrates how nonprofits can use real-world data to make smarter renewable-energy decisions. By combining their mission-driven commitment to sustainability with enee.io’s monitoring and right-sizing tools, AHI now has the insight required to reduce diesel reliance, cut costs significantly, and reinvest savings into the programmes that matter most.
This case shows the power of giving organisations not just renewable energy–but the data to unlock its full value.