FAO Showcases Innovative Mesh Grid Tool to Strengthen Rural Energy Resilience in Jamaica and Beyond

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), through its Jamaica Country Office, hosted a webinar on Mesh Grid Systems for Innovative Rural Energy Communities (MIREC). The virtual event held on 15 December 2025, brought together over 40 energy experts, policymakers, development practitioners and stakeholders to explore new approaches to resilient, low-emission rural energy planning.

The webinar introduced a globally applicable simulation tool designed to support the planning and optimization of decentralized hybrid energy systems that combine solar photovoltaic (PV) power and biogas, connected through mesh grid networks. While Jamaica served as the primary case study, the tool is adaptable to rural contexts worldwide.

Opening the session, Assistant FAO Representative, Roslyn Jackson-Richards, emphasized the importance of the MIREC initiative in strengthening Jamaica’s capacity to plan affordable, reliable and sustainable energy systems for rural communities.

“This is not just a technical exercise. It is a forward-looking effort to support farmers who operate at the margins of the national grid, to strengthen the resilience of rural enterprises and to reduce Jamaica’s vulnerability to climate-driven shocks. It is also an opportunity to transform challenges, such as underutilized poultry and organic waste into renewable energy assets that benefit entire communities.”

The recent passage of Hurricane Melissa underscored the vulnerability of rural communities to power disruptions, particularly farmers dependent on electricity for irrigation, storage and processing.

The MIREC tool enables users to design, size and assess decentralized hybrid energy systems before physical infrastructure investments are made. Using local data, the platform can simulate energy demand, optimize system configurations, estimate costs and sustainability indicators such as emissions reductions and renewable energy shares.

Presentations by technical specialists from FAO’s Energy Division (OCB) showcased how the tool integrates solar PV generation, biogas from agricultural waste and battery storage, linked through low-voltage mesh grids that allow energy sharing between clustered communities. This approach improves reliability, reduces dependence on fossil fuels and lowers long-term energy costs.

A live demonstration illustrated the tool’s interface, analytical capabilities and practical application for planners and field teams.

Project Coordinator, Stacy Rose shared insights into the data collection conducted in St. Catherine and Clarendon which demonstrated how local data can be translated into energy planning scenarios tailored to rural Jamaican communities. The project collected data on energy use, waste availability for bioenergy generation and community infrastructure. Case studies from four communities – Kitson Town, Spring Village, Williams Well (St. Catherine) and Four Paths (Clarendon) highlighted the feasibility of mesh grid systems in reducing outages, improving resilience, and supporting agricultural enterprises.

While grounded in Jamaica’s context, the MIREC platform is designed for global applicability, offering a scalable solution for rural communities facing similar energy challenges across the Caribbean and beyond.