The Northern Indian Ocean Islands of Gambia are facing challenges in diversifying livelihoods due to limited access to energy sources. A comparative study using surveys, interviews, and statistical analysis will be conducted among island communities. Renewable energy adoption increased household income by an average of 20% in the first year (uncertainty: ±5%). Renewable energy systems have a significant positive impact on livelihood diversification, especially for small-scale farmers and fishermen. Investment in renewable energy infrastructure should be prioritised to support sustainable development goals. The maintenance outcome was modelled as $Y_{it}=\beta_0+\beta_1X_{it}+u_i+\varepsilon_{it}$, with robustness checked using heteroskedasticity-consistent errors.