Anticipating the needs of an electricity grid, monitoring the performance of a mini-grid, or assisting users of solar solutions: the possibilities offered by artificial intelligence in the energy sector are growing steadily.
In sub-Saharan Africa, several hundred million people still live without access to electricity. Closing this energy gap naturally requires developing infrastructure, but also improving investment planning, equipment maintenance, grid management, and the integration of renewable energy sources.
It is in this context that artificial intelligence can bring real added value. Thanks to its ability to quickly process large volumes of data, AI can help detect certain anomalies, anticipate needs, improve diagnostics, and simplify the use of complex technical tools.
However, it is not a substitute for infrastructure or for the sector's professionals. Its value lies rather in its ability to strengthen the resources already available to companies and operators in order to improve the management of energy systems.
At Interloan, we follow with interest entrepreneurs and small organisations seeking to integrate digital technology and artificial intelligence into their energy-related activities — whether to improve the reliability of a mini-grid, facilitate fault diagnosis, or support users of a solar solution.
Like in any other sector, these entrepreneurs can apply to Interloan for a credit, a donation, or a material donation to advance their project — on the same basis as any other income-generating activity we support.
The approach rests on one essential idea: before seeking to use artificial intelligence, one needs sufficiently reliable, accessible and properly structured data. It is better to focus on a few applications with real potential than to multiply experiments with no prospect of deployment.
For Interloan, the goal is therefore not to promote artificial intelligence as a technology in itself.
It is above all about identifying the situations in which it can genuinely improve energy services, strengthen the reliability of infrastructure, ease the work of operators, and help extend access to quality energy.
Artificial intelligence thus becomes a tool in service of a broader goal: making energy systems more efficient, more reliable, and more accessible to the populations that need them most.