Commercial & Industrial (C&I) renewable electrification represents a core pillar for the Alliance Renewable Electrification (ARE) and a natural extension of its private-sector mandate.

C&I electricity demand represents approximately 60–70% of total electricity consumption in many emerging economies. Rising grid instability, fuel price volatility, and corporate climate commitments are accelerating demand for on-site and near-site renewable solutions, including solar PV, storage, hybrid systems, and energy efficiency integration.

Large industrial and commercial actors increasingly act not only as energy consumers but also as co-investors and anchor clients for distributed renewable energy markets. At the same time, ARE members—developers, EPCs, investors, manufacturers, and service providers—are actively scaling C&I portfolios across Africa, Asia-Pacific, and LAC.

Therefore, through this Pillar, ARE covers on- or off-grid solutions based on energy production, battery storage (BESS), heat integration, hybrid and energy efficiency technologies. These solutions address the needs of real estate developers, tourism, data centres, telecom companies, mining industries and critical infrastructure, among others.

ARE positions itself as:

• The leading industry association and convening platform for renewable energy companies active in C&I markets in emerging economies,
• A trusted interface between renewable energy suppliers, investors, and large electricity consumers,
• A thought leader and market shaper for distributed and captive renewable energy solutions for industrial self-consumption.

Novum Solar

ARE focuses its C&I activities on sectors with high energy demand, strong replication potential, and clear decarbonisation incentives:

• Digital infrastructure, telecom, and data centres,
• Mining and extractive industries, including metals and minerals critical to the energy transition,
• Agriculture and agro-industry, including processing, storage, and large-scale commercial farming,
• Water and utilities, including desalination, pumping, and treatment facilities, and
• Other industrial and commercial sectors, including FMCG, hospitality, cement, textiles, chemicals, logistics, and real estate.

247Solar

Key activities of ARE include:

• Engagement with governments and regulators,
• Development of policy briefs and market guidance,
• Coordination with DFIs and public institutions to align C&I regulation with investment flows,
• Integration of a strong C&I track within EAIF,
• Organisation of targeted business delegations to demand-side industry events (e.g. mining, digital infrastructure, agriculture),
• Facilitation of structured matchmaking formats, and
• Organisation of C&I peer exchanges.