Abstract
“Universal access to electricity” is proclaimed as the seventh sustainable development goal (SDG 7) of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals list. The achievement of this goal will result in a rapid diffusion of energy technologies that would in turn increase materials stocks, subsequently increase the raw material demand as well as the arising waste flows. This study describes a methodological framework to assess in-use stocks of off-grid solar products and electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) for rural communities in developing countries. The methodology is based on energy-access data. Furthermore, the specifics of the characteristics of off-grid solar products are discussed. The methodology is applied to rural Bangladesh and its solar home system (SHS) program. By the end of 2016, around 4.1 million SHSs were installed. This type of access to electricity has a significant impact on the in-use stocks, as households add the comparatively heavy SHSs to their in-use stocks. In-use stocks of EEE, in general, are low. Off-grid solar products are lighter than standard EEE, and fewer products types are available. These findings will help to better understand material stocks and future waste flows in the given context and will support the adaption of recycling infrastructures.
Highlights
In 1878, Thomas Edison demonstrated an incandescent light bulb, imagining that electricity will be so cheap that only the rich will burn candles [1]
The possession of electricity-using products (EuP) and Energy Access Products (EAPs) is very low in rural Bangladesh
The solar home system (SHS) program of Bangladesh already has a measurable impact on the electronic equipment (EEE) market, if off-grid solar products are categorized as EEE
Summary
In 1878, Thomas Edison demonstrated an incandescent light bulb, imagining that electricity will be so cheap that only the rich will burn candles [1]. The vast majority of the global population, without access to electricity, live in rural communities, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia [2]. These households rely on kerosene lamps, candles, and increasingly on battery-run flashlights for lighting [5,6]. Access to electricity can be achieved by extending the national grid, developing independent community-level grids, or providing individual household solutions (see Figure 1). The questionnaire of the survey of the MTF includes the type of access to electricity and the household’s possession of EuPs and EAPs. A standard SHS can qualify for a Tier 1 or Tier 2 status, but not for a Tier 3 and above because of the capacity restrictions of SHSs [23]. MTF studies will be integrated into regular household surveys in countries with electrification deficits [2]
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