Beyond the Grid: Juan Garcia Montes on Bringing Solar to Rural Africa

In this episode of The Fixers Podcast, host Amrita Kumar talks with Juan Garcia Montes, Program Manager for the +SOL Mini-Grid Initiative in Mozambique, about bringing electricity to communities that have never had it before. Juan shares 25 years of experience working in the solar industry across Africa, focusing on how solar mini-grids are transforming villages where 600 million people still live without reliable power.

Listeners will learn what happens when electricity reaches a village for the first time—from the immediate joy of having lights at home to the long-term economic opportunities that emerge. Juan explains how mini-grids work, why solar makes sense for remote communities, and the surprising challenges of helping people adopt new technology.

From navigating cyclones and climate risks in Mozambique to understanding why Africa's sunniest regions were slower to embrace solar than cloudy Europe, Juan offers insights into the real complexities of rural electrification and why listening to communities matters more than having the perfect technical solution.

Juan highlights the importance of focusing on understanding the demand side—not just the technology, but how people actually live and what they need.

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