Abstract
Access to reliable and affordable energy is vital for sustainable development. In the off-grid areas of developing countries, decentralized energy solutions have received increasing attention due to their contributions to reducing poverty. However, most of the rural population in many developing countries still has little or no access to modern energy technologies. This paper assesses the factors that determine the successes and failures of decentralized energy solutions based on local harmonized case studies from heterogeneous contexts from Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and South America. The case studies were analyzed through the coupled lenses of energy transition and the Water–Energy–Food Security (WEF) Nexus. The findings indicate that access to modern decentralized energy solutions has not resulted in complete energy transitions due to various tradeoffs with the other domains of the WEF Nexus. On the other hand, the case studies point at the potential for improvements in food security, incomes, health, the empowerment of women, and resource conservation when synergies between decentralized energy solutions and other components of the WEF Nexus are present.
Highlights
Access to modern, affordable energy services, which encompass access to electricity and clean cooking technologies, is one of the necessary inputs for the achievement of Sustainable DevelopmentGoals (SDGs)
The results indicate that decentralized energy solutions (DES) initiatives did not result in complete energy transitions, as the target communities and households still relied on multiple energy sources due to a number of barriers to the adoption of DES
The case studies indicated that DES have positively contributed to household and community livelihoods, and are an integral component of the Water–Energy–Food Security (WEF) Nexus
Summary
Affordable energy services, which encompass access to electricity and clean cooking technologies, is one of the necessary inputs for the achievement of Sustainable DevelopmentGoals (SDGs). Affordable energy services, which encompass access to electricity and clean cooking technologies, is one of the necessary inputs for the achievement of Sustainable Development. Despite recent improvements in electrification, and expanded access to more efficient cooking fuels in developing regions, energy access still remains a pressing problem [10], especially in the rural areas of developing countries [1]. In this context, decentralized energy solutions (DES) can significantly. Energy and food production activities compete for land and water resources, which may, lead to food-fuel tradeoffs
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