The problem of access to electricity is still a major challenge to about 2 billion people that still live in rural and urban off-grid areas on incomes of $1-2/day. Since the cost of linking these people to the grid is high, there is a need to explore the development of alternative energy solutions for the provision of electricity in such contexts. There is also a need to develop new insights for the formulation of evidence-based policy that could enable the development of strategies to provide electricity to people that live in off-grid areas. This paper presents the results of a survey that provides insights for the formulation of evidence-based policy for the adoption of solar lanterns into rural/urban off-grid areas. The two year questionnaire study was carried out in Mpala Village in the Laikipia district of Kenya. The study identifies the factors that resulted in the adoption rate of 96% and a decrease of 14.7% in annual family expenditures. The social and health impacts are also elucidated before discussing the implications of the results for the formulation of evidence-based solar energy policy in developing countries.
Purchase
Buy instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):
Institutional Login
Log in with Open Athens, Shibboleth, or your institutional credentials
Personal login
Log in with your brill.com account
Abdullah M. O., Yung V. C., Anyi M., Othman A. K., Ab Hamid K. B. & Tarawe J. “Review and Comparison Study of Hybrid Diesel/solar/hydro/fuel Cell Energy Schemes for a Rural ict Telecenter” Energy 2010 35 639 646
Alaii J. A. et al. “Perceptions of Bed Nets and Malaria Prevention Before and After a Randomized Controlled Trial of Permethrin-Treated Bed Nets in Western Kenya” The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 2003 68 4 suppl 142 148
Alanne Kari & Saari Arto “Distributed Energy Generation and Sustainable Development” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 2006 10 539 558
Bagwell K. & Riordan M. H. “High and Declining Prices Signal Product Quality” American Economic Review 1991 224 39
Brown J., Proum S. & Sobsey M. D. “Sustained Use of a Household-Scale Water Filtration Device in Rural Cambodia” Journal of Water Health 2009 7 3 404 412
Clark Woodrow & Isherwood William “Distributed Generation: Remote Power Systems with Advanced Storage Technologies” Energy Policy 2004 32 1573 1589
Collins D., Morduch J., Rutherford S. & Ruthven O. Portfolios of the Poor: How the World’s Poor Live on $2 a Day 2009 Princeton, New Jersey Princeton University Press
duma 2012 March 20, 2012 at: http://www.myduma.org/.
Egre Dominique & Milewski Joseph C. “The Diversity of Hydropower Projects” Energy Policy 2002 30 1225 1230
Govindarajan V. & Ramamurti R. “Reverse Innovation, Emerging Markets, and Global Strategy” Global Strategy Journal 2011 1 3-4 191 205
Gruner R., Lux S., Reiche K. & Schmitz-Gunther T. “Solar Lanterns Test: Shades of Light” 2009 Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (gtz).
Haanyika Charles Moonga “Rural Electrification Policy and Institutional Linkages” Energy Policy 2006 34 2977 2993
Henderson Chris R., Manwell James F. & McGowan Jon G. “A Wind/diesel Hybrid System with Desalination for Star Island, nh: Feasibility Study Results” Desalination 2009 237 318 329
iea “World Energy Outlook Executive Summary” 2009 Paris International Energy Agency
Jacobson A. “Connective Power: Solar Electrification and Social Change in Kenya” World Development 2007 35 1 144 162
Jana R. “Innovation Trickles in a New Direction” 2009 online March 11, 2009 at: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_12/b4124038287365.htm.
Sheffield John et al. “Energy Options for the Future” Journal of Fusion Energy 2004 23 2 63
Kaldellis J. K. & Zafrakis D. “Present Situation and Future Prospects of Electricity Generation in Aegean Archipelago Islands” Energy Policy 2007 35 4623 4639
Kammen D. Investing in Future Resources Environmental Review 2000 7 3 8 14
Kaplan W. A. “Can the Ubiquitous Power of Mobile Phones be Used to Improve Health Outcomes in Developing Countries?” Globalization and Health 2006 2
Karamchandani A., Kubzansky M. & Frandano P. “Emerging Markets Emerging Models: Market-Based Solutions to the Challenges of Global Poverty” Monitor Group 2009 February 25, 2015 online at: http://www.susana.org/en/resources/library/details/687.
Kivaisi Rogath T. “Installation and Use of a 3 kWp pv Plant at Umbuji Village in Zanzibar” Renewable Energy 2000 19 457 472
Lybbert T. J. & Sumner D. A. “Agricultural technologies for climate change in developing countries: Policy options for innovation and technology diffusion” Food Policy 2012 37 1 114 123
Mills E. & Jacobson A. “The Need for Independent Quality and Performance Testing of Emerging Off-Grid White-led Illumination Systems for Developing Countries” Light & Engineering 2008 16 2 20
Pegels A. “Renewable energy in South Africa: in Potentials, barriers and options for support” Energy Policy 2010 38 9 4945 4954
Polak P. Out of Poverty: What Works When Traditional Approaches Fail 2008 San Francisco, CA Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.
psi “What is Social Marketing?” 2003 online April 3009 at: http://www.psi.org/resources/research-metrics/publications/social-marketing-research-series/what-social-marketing.
Radecsky K., Johnstone P., Jacobson A. & Mills E. “Solid-State Lighting on a Shoestring Budget: The Economics of Off-Grid Lighting for Small Businesses in Kenya” The Lumina Project 3 2008
Renny M. “Micro and Small Enterprise Sector and Existing Support System with Emphasis on High-Tech oriented Entrepreneurship in Kenya” Journal of Language, Technology & Entrepreneurship in Africa 2011 3 1 10
Rogers E. M. Diffusion of Innovations 1962 4th. Glencoe Free Press
Shrestha Ram M. & Bhattarai Gopal B. “Electricity planning with demand-side management in Nepal: Economics and environmental implications” Energy Policy 1993 21 757 767
Singh S. K. “The diffusion of mobile phones in India” Telecommunications Policy 2008 642 651
Sirte “Hydropower Resource Assessment of Africa. 15-17 December 2008” “Ministerial Conference on Water for Agriculture and Energy in Africa: The Challenges of Climate Change” Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 1 34
Sovacool B. K., D’Agostino A. L. & Bambawale M Jain “The Socio-technical Barriers to Solar Home Systems (shs) in Papua New Guinea: Choosing Pigs, Prostitutes, and Poker Chips over Panels” Energy Policy 2011 39 3 1532 1542
Tamulaitis Gintautas “leds in Developing World” International Journal of High Speed Electronics and Systems 2011 20 2 343 358
Tarde G. La Psychologie Economique ed. 1902 2 Paris Alcan, F.
Thaler R. “Toward a Positive Theory of Consumer Choice” Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization 1980 1 1 39 60
Wootton R. “Telemedicine Support for the Developing World” Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare 2008 14 109 114
World Bank Group “Ease of Doing Business in Kenya” 2012 online February 25, 2015 at: http://www.doingbusiness.org/data/exploreeconomies/kenya/.
World Bank “Lighting Africa, Solar Lighting for the Base of the Pyramid—Overview of an Emerging Market” International Finance Commission 2010 77
All Time | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
---|---|---|---|
Abstract Views | 1626 | 115 | 12 |
Full Text Views | 154 | 6 | 2 |
PDF Views & Downloads | 85 | 14 | 4 |
The problem of access to electricity is still a major challenge to about 2 billion people that still live in rural and urban off-grid areas on incomes of $1-2/day. Since the cost of linking these people to the grid is high, there is a need to explore the development of alternative energy solutions for the provision of electricity in such contexts. There is also a need to develop new insights for the formulation of evidence-based policy that could enable the development of strategies to provide electricity to people that live in off-grid areas. This paper presents the results of a survey that provides insights for the formulation of evidence-based policy for the adoption of solar lanterns into rural/urban off-grid areas. The two year questionnaire study was carried out in Mpala Village in the Laikipia district of Kenya. The study identifies the factors that resulted in the adoption rate of 96% and a decrease of 14.7% in annual family expenditures. The social and health impacts are also elucidated before discussing the implications of the results for the formulation of evidence-based solar energy policy in developing countries.
All Time | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
---|---|---|---|
Abstract Views | 1626 | 115 | 12 |
Full Text Views | 154 | 6 | 2 |
PDF Views & Downloads | 85 | 14 | 4 |