Connective Power: Solar Electrification and Social Change in Kenya

Jacobson, Arne

doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2006.10.001

Cited by 214 publications

(193 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Demand-side methodologies have also shed light into rural offgrid energy transitions at the household and village level, finding them to be better explained by 'energy stacking' or 'energy webs' (where households use different energy sources for the same or multiple purposes) rather than linear transitions [11][12] [13]. In South Africa, research regarding appliance ownership and grid-electricity access and demand also demonstrated that ownership of electric appliances did not necessarily mean that they were used, or that if they were used, that they were powered by the grid (or in other places, by solar home systems) [8] [14].…”

Section: Demand Side Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

The Natural and Infrastructural Capital Elements of Potential Post-Electrification Wealth Creation in Kenya

Diego¹

2017

Preprint

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While it is widely accepted that electricity is a "necessary but not sufficient condition" for development, there is little research that explores the conditions under which electrification might lead to wealth creation post-electrification. Using Kenya as a case study, this paper uses natural capital (NC) and infrastructural capital (IC) to compare the enabling environments of entrepreneur vs. government run off-grid electrification projects, explores the role that NC and IC can play in determining wealth creation post-electrification, and develops a microenterprise development (MED) index indicating regions in Kenya that could be well positioned for wealth creation (and thus, persistent demand) post-electrification. A comparison between the MED index and a nightlights GDP per capita proxy finds that their local differences are informative towards the management and use of local resources, suggests that a nightlights proxy could provide a large underestimate, and sheds light towards regions where the gap between achieved and unrealized potential may be large. We hypothesize that the large discrepancy between our MED index and the nightlights income proxy is due to an underestimate of economic activity by nightlights (most of the economic activity in rural areas happens during the day), the nature of the MED index being a measure of 'potential', and several other factors that could affect both variables such as local climate and environmental conditions, population stress on natural resources, quality of infrastructural capital (not only access), local corruption, and ethnic favoritism. We discuss these at length throughout our paper.

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Section: Demand Side Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

The Natural and Infrastructural Capital Elements of Potential Post-Electrification Wealth Creation in Kenya

Diego¹

2017

Preprint

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“…According to Jacobson [74], the increasing incomes from tea-growing were particularly important in improving the purchasing power of these rural customers. Indeed, Moner-Girona et al [17, p. 2] state that the development of the SHS market segment was mainly attributable to 'high incomes among farmers (coffee, tea, horticulture), rural teachers, civil servants and businesses with a strong demand for consumer electronics (TV's, radios, cell phones)'.…”

Section: (I) Market Formationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Ondraczek [19], for example, argues that the Tanzanian population is more geographically spread compared to Kenya, where a majority of the population is concentrated in the central and western parts of the country [39,74]. Coupled with a relatively welldeveloped transport infrastructure in terms of road and rail links, establishing effective distribution channels and a PV supplier network has therefore been easier in Kenya.…”

Section: (I) Market Formationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Review of solar PV policies, interventions and diffusion in East Africa

Hansen¹,

Pedersen²,

Nygaard³

2015

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews

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Previous research on the diffusion of solar PV in Africa has mainly focused on solar home systems (SHS) in individual countries and thus overlooked developments in other PV market segments that have recently emerged. In contrast this paper adopts a regional perspective by reviewing developments in supportive policies, donor programs and diffusion status in all PV market segments in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, as well as identifying the key factors put forward in the literature to explain differences in the diffusion of SHS in these three countries. The paper finds two emerging trends: (i) a movement from donor and government-based support to market-driven diffusion of solar PV; and (ii) a transition from small-scale, off-grid systems towards mini-grids and large-scale, grid-connected solar power plants. The paper points out three generic factors that have contributed to encouraging SHS diffusion in all three countries: (i) the decline in world market prices for PV modules; (ii) the prolonged support from international donors; and (iii) conducive framework conditions provided by national governments. The paper also identifies five key factors that have been elaborated in the literature to explain the higher level of SHS diffusion in Kenya compared to Tanzania and Uganda: (i) a growing middle-class; (ii) geographical conditions; (iii) local subcomponent suppliers; (iv) local champions; and (v) business culture. Finally, the paper discusses the lack of attention in the literature given to analysing the amount, nature and timing of donor and government support across countries, processes of learning and upgrading in local PV industries and the interaction between the different explanatory factors.

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“…In general, when water resource is sufficient, PA always considers the microhydro power as the first option , since these systems are usually the lowest cost option for off-grid rural electrification (Coello et al, 2006;Kaygusuz, 2011;REN21, 2008;Williams and Simpson, 2009), are reliable for off-grid systems (van Els et al, 2012), and the energy is continuously available (Drinkwaard et al, 2010), . If water resource is not available, photovoltaic (PV) or wind systems are used, depending on resource availability, as their suitable to provide decentralized electrical service to rural households (Bugaje, 2006;Jacobson, 2007;Hiremath, 2009;Kandpal, 2010a, 2010b;Ferrer-Martí et al, 2012;Valer et al, 2014). Regarding the choice between individual or collective systems, it must be noted that stand-alone systems usually have low capacity factor, high battery costs and limited capacity to store energy (Khan and Iqbal, 2005;Kaundinya, 2009).…”

Section: Description Of the Case Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing management models for off-grid renewable energy electrification projects using the Human Development approach: Case study in Peru

Lillo

Ferrer‐Martí

Aristizábal

et al. 2015

Energy for Sustainable Development

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Electrification systems based on renewable energy have proven to be suitable for providing electricity autonomously to rural communities and thus reducing poverty. When implementing these systems, a management model is usually designed to maximise technical and financial sustainability. To improve the design and performance of systems, different evaluations of management models have been made that usually centre on products and final utilities. However, this excessively utilitarian vision of development restricts an analysis of the impact that these projects may have on people's lives. To overcome these limitations, we have used the Human Development approach to evaluate the management model of five electrification projects that use different technologies in Cajamarca (Peru). With this approach, the base of information is enhanced, which enables a broader assessment of various key dimensions of development that should be considered in the management model to improve the impact of such projects. The results show the weaknesses of the design and implementation process of the management model. Several ideas are proposed to avoid these weaknesses and to maximise the chance of success.

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Connective Power: Solar Electrification and Social Change in Kenya

Cited by 214 publications

References 12 publications

The Natural and Infrastructural Capital Elements of Potential Post-Electrification Wealth Creation in Kenya

The Natural and Infrastructural Capital Elements of Potential Post-Electrification Wealth Creation in Kenya

Review of solar PV policies, interventions and diffusion in East Africa

Assessing management models for off-grid renewable energy electrification projects using the Human Development approach: Case study in Peru

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