Electrification In Kenya Research Articles

Towards 100% Renewable Energy: Incrementing Solar Electrification in Kenya

Towards 100% Renewable Energy: Incrementing Solar Electrification in Kenya

Characterizing Supply Reliability Through the Synergistic Integration of VRE towards Enhancing Electrification in Kenya

Decentralized electrical power systems, driven by variable renewable energy sources such as solar PV and wind, have the potential to provide accessible and sustainable energy, contributing to the realization of a zero-carbon transition. However, these sources are susceptible to extreme weather conditions, presenting a challenge to the reliability of the power system. With abundant resources and a significant rural population lacking access to electricity, Africa has emerged as a key area for research on variable renewable energy-based electricity generation. Despite this focus, there remains a substantial gap in understanding at regional-scale the potential and variability of solar and wind power across various time scales, as well asthe impact of available resource synergy. Thisstudy aims to bridge this knowledge gap by conducting comprehensive simulations of hybrid wind and solar energy systems, both on-grid and off-grid, across 20 geographically diverse locations in Kenya. Using high-resolution hourly time step data, we examine the effect of resource complementarity on system reliability at varying time scales: daily, monthly and annually. The study findings shows the available VRE resource exhibit moderate tendency for complementarity, and optimizing their deployment can reduce hourly variability by 20%, significantly enhancing supply reliability, especially in the northern and eastern regions.

Effect of Service Delivery Reforms on Access to Electricity in Rural Kenya

Background: Access to electricity in rural areas is critical for beneficiary households, local communities, and the economy as a whole. Indeed, access to electricity is one of the factors that will determine the realization of Kenya’s Vision 2030. In view of this, the Kenyan government has over the years, through regulatory bodies such as the Rural Electrification Authority, the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority, and Kenya Electric Power, implemented various institutional and service delivery reforms to accelerate electricity adoption in rural areas. Objective: The study investigated the effect of service delivery reforms on access to electricity in rural Kenya. Methodology: The materials used in this study was part of the larger study that was looking at the effect of regulatory reforms in the electricity subsector on access to electricity in rural Kenya. In this paper, we present data generated from the quantitative component of the study that comprised 384 rural households in Kakamega, Uasin Gishu and Nyandarua counties. Data were collected using a questionnaire and analyzed by both descriptive and regression techniques. Findings: The study found that service delivery reforms notably; Stima Loans and Umeme Pamoja schemes as alternative ways of financing access to electricity, have no statistically significant association with access to electricity in the study areas. The results further indicate that most households (69.6%) do not have knowledge about these service delivery reforms. Conclusion: We have highlighted that most rural residents in the surveyed counties do not know of existing alternative ways to finance their access to electricity. Therefore, we suggest an increase in the awareness of rural residents about the existence and availability of these financing schemes to finance accelerate rural electrification in Kenya.

Second-life battery systems for affordable energy access in Kenyan primary schools

As the world transitions to net zero, energy storage is becoming increasingly important for applications such as electric vehicles, mini-grids, and utility-scale grid stability. The growing demand for storage will constrain raw battery materials, reduce the availability of new batteries, and increase the rate of battery retirement. As retired batteries are difficult to recycle into components, to avoid huge amounts of battery waste, reuse and repurposing options are needed. In this research, we explore the feasibility of using second-life batteries (which have been retired from their first intended life) and solar photovoltaics to provide affordable energy access to primary schools in Kenya. Based on interviews with 12 East African schools, realistic system sizes were determined with varying solar photovoltaic sizes (5–10 kW in 2.5 kW increments) and lithium-ion battery capacities (5–20 kWh in 5 kWh increments). Each combination was simulated under four scenarios as a sensitivity analysis of battery transportation costs (i.e., whether they are sourced locally or imported). A techno-economic analysis is undertaken to compare new and second-life batteries in the resulting 48 system scenarios in terms of cost and performance. We find that second-life batteries decrease the levelized cost of electricity by 5.6–35.3% in 97.2% of scenarios compared to similar systems with new batteries, and by 41.9–64.5% compared to the cost of the same energy service provided by the utility grid. The systems with the smallest levelized cost of electricity (i.e., 0.11 USD/kWh) use either 7.5 kW or 10 kW of solar with 20 kWh of storage. Across all cases, the payback period is decreased by 8.2–42.9% using second-life batteries compared to new batteries; the system with the smallest payback period (i.e., 2.9 years) uses 5 kW solar and 5 kWh storage. These results show second-life batteries to be viable and cost-competitive compared to new batteries for school electrification in Kenya, providing the same benefits while reducing waste.

Experimental Evidence on the Economics of Rural Electrification

We present results from an experiment that randomized the expansion of electric grid infrastructure in rural Kenya. Electricity distribution is a canonical example of a natural monopoly. Experimental variation in the number of connections, combined with administrative cost data, reveals considerable scale economies, as hypothesized. Randomized price offers indicate that demand for connections falls sharply with price. Among newly connected households, average electricity consumption is very low, implying low consumer surplus. We do not find meaningful medium-run impacts on economic and noneconomic outcomes. We discuss implications for current efforts to increase rural electrification in Kenya and highlight how various factors may affect interpretation.

Eager to connect, cautious to consume: An integrated view of the drivers and motivations for electricity consumption among rural households in Kenya

In the last ten years, electrification in Kenya has proceeded at an astonishing rate. Notwithstanding this feat, household electricity consumption, particularly in rural areas, remains significantly low. Thus, stimulating demand and sustainable consumption are the next critical challenges policymakers face. In this paper, we present a case study of an electrification project that targets workers’ housing inside a commercial tea estate. We use Energy Cultures framework to analyse what motivates and constrains household electricity consumption in rural Kenya. Our findings show that although people give significant consideration to cost, money is not the only determinant. Electricity is desired to the extent that it enables families to carry out socially desirable activities, while service is measured against expectations and aspirations. Although access to the grid influences households’ perceptions of wellbeing, their status as migrant workers has a constraining effect on how they consume electricity. Empowered by technology, households are also increasingly taking charge in shaping their own distinct energy cultures. However, for the most part, this involves finding new ways to reproduce and sustain a way of life that is consistent with their belief systems. Seeing households as embodiments of lifestyles whose energy culture is shaped by their on-going interactions with their physical and social environments, the paper argues for an integrated approach to policy and programmatic interventions.

Decentralized rural electrification in Kenya: Speeding up universal energy access

This paper undertakes a comprehensive spatial mapping of the existing energy infrastructure in Kenya. With the perspective of the current energy status and local resources, the study develops a rural electrification spatial model for Kenya (RE_RU_KE tool) to identify optimal strategies for the different locations. The model considers the potential of conventional approaches (diesel gensets), clean technologies (solar, wind, hydro mini-grids), hybrid systems and the option of central grid extension to electrify remote areas in Kenya at the lowest possible cost. The model output is contrasted to the national Rural Electrification Master Plan (REM) of Kenya. While both the REM and RE_RU_KE tool target the off-grid rural electrification options, their methodological approaches are intrinsically different. The comparison between both results aims to enable valuable synergies and highlight the potential complementarities that can create added value for stakeholders involved in rural electrification planning. In particular, RE_RU_KE model output highlights the substantial role that renewable energy systems can play in decentralized generation providing universal energy access to rural households at a competitive cost.

Rural electrification in Kenya: a useful case for remote areas in sub-Saharan Africa

There is a significant proportion of the world’s population living in remote rural areas that are geographically isolated and sparsely populated. This study is based on modeling, computer simulation, and optimization of a hybrid powered mini-grid for a remote area of Korr in the district of Marsabit, Northern Kenya. The solar photovoltaic and wind turbine are considered as the two renewable resources for generating electricity accompanied by a battery (B) for storage and a diesel generator as a backup system. HOMER Pro software is used to perform the design and analysis of a proposed hybrid powered mini-grid model. The simulation results generated by the software indicate that the renewable energy sources may be a competitive technology. It has the potential of being a feasible solution capable of providing sustainable and reliable electric power at remote locations provided adequate amounts of renewable energy resources. The most cost-effective system in this study incorporates photovoltaic arrays, wind turbines, a diesel generator, and a battery bank to provide electricity to the community load demand of 5592 kWh/day at a cost of energy of $0.314.

A longitudinal study of electricity consumption growth in Kenya

During the past 5 years, electrification in Kenya has grown by more than 30% due primarily to increases in grid penetration and solar home systems. This represents a way forward for governments, international finance institutions, and entrepreneurs to address some of the challenges of energy access. However, little is understood about how consumption has evolved among these newly-electrified customers. In this paper, we address this by conducting a longitudinal analysis for 136k utility customers across Kenya over six years of electricity bills, uncovering critical trends in spatio-temporal evolution of electricity consumption. Our analysis reveals that recently-electrified customers are reaching their steady-state consumption more quickly than previous customers, that the steady-state is increasingly less, and that typical urban and peri-urban customers tend to consume 50% more electricity than rural customers. In addition we present implications for policymakers and electricity planners considering grid extension and distributed systems for improving electrification.

A political economy of niche-building: Neoliberal-developmental encounters in photovoltaic electrification in Kenya

International agreements on energy access and climate change, formulated according to neoliberal orthodoxy, will drive significant finance to developing countries for clean technology investments. But critics call for more active state intervention – a developmental approach – arguing that free markets alone will not deliver what is required. This creates the potential for confrontation between contradictory ideologies in national policymaking and implementation: neoliberalism in global agreements versus developmentalism in national policy.The Kenyan photovoltaics (PV) market has long-experienced neoliberal-developmental policy interactions, reflecting on which can illuminate how such encounters might unfold in the future. We construct a new ‘niche political economy’ theoretical framework to analyse these past interactions, constituting one of three contributions we offer. The second is empirical, showing how PV practitioners, national policymakers and global development actors have negotiated their policymaking encounters over time. Our third contribution offers reflections on the issues explored, discussing what this might mean for future neoliberal-developmental encounters.We find that action on the ground will emerge from messy negotiated interactions between competing ideologies rather than be determined by powerful neoliberal actors. As such, realising global energy and climate ambitions becomes even more uncertain unless long-term active niche-building resources are secured in international agreements.

Connective Power: Solar Electrification and Social Change in Kenya

Summary Market-based rural electrification with solar energy is increasingly common in developing countries. This article revolves around three main claims about solar electrification in Kenya’s unsubsidized market: (1) The benefits of solar electrification are captured primarily by the rural middle class. (2) Solar electricity plays a modest role in supporting economically productive and education-related activities, but “connective” applications such as television, radio, and cellular telephone charging often receive a higher priority. (3) Solar electrification is more closely tied to increased television use, the expansion of markets, more rural–urban communication, and other processes that increase rural–urban connectivity than to poverty alleviation, sustainable development, or the appropriate technology movement.

05/01073 Integrated solar energy systems for rural electrification in Kenya

During the past decade there have been various activities in Kenya concerning wind energy, for instance, windmill manufacture, feasibility studies on wind energy utilization and wind energy potential assessment. This paper reviews these activities and examines some pertinent issues. It is found that most windmill manufacturing ventures have failed and that characteristics of the wind regimes have generally been ignored in the design process. Where local windmill manufacture has succeeded it has not led to a cheap windpump. Many feasibility studies have been conducted but most of them have been expensive and poorly coordinated; in addition, they have invariably used inadequate wind data bases. This paper further notes that certain steps need to be taken to strengthen wind energy development in Kenya, namely: establishment of a wind data bank and a wind documentation centre, active support for basic and applied research in the field of wind energy and provision of incentives to windmill manufacturers.

Integrated solar energy systems for rural electrification in Kenya

In sub-Saharan Africa where population is projected to increase by 124% in the next 20 years, grid extension has advanced more slowly than in any other major regions; only about a third of the urban residents, and a mere 8% of the rural population, are served by grid electricity. Today, it is estimated that nearly two billion people worldwide remain without access to electricity or the immediate prospect of grid electrification. The situation in Kenya is no different. About 80% urban and 99.5% rural households, respectively, in Kenya have no access to electricity and its services. The annual electricity demand currently stands at 6% and increasing. However, we have shown that Kenya is well endowed with abundant renewable energy (RE) potential, especially solar energy resources. In our study, we have observed that Kenya gets an annual average exposure to sunshine of about 10 h per day in most regions, and an annual mean radiation of 6.98 kW h/m 2, which if harnessed efficiently could contribute to improve quality of life in rural and poor urban sector in Kenya.

04/00358 Assessment of pico hydro as an option for off-grid electrification in Kenya: Maher, P. et al. Renewable Energy, 2003, 28, (9), 1357—1369

04/00358 Assessment of pico hydro as an option for off-grid electrification in Kenya: Maher, P. et al. Renewable Energy, 2003, 28, (9), 1357—1369

Assessment of pico hydro as an option for off-grid electrification in Kenya

This paper discusses off-grid electrification options for low-income households in rural Kenya, where less than 2% are grid connected. The paper outlines the electrical load priorities of rural households and describes how these are supplied at present through centrally charged automotive batteries and solar home systems. The recent introduction of pico hydro schemes (<5 kW) to Kenya is discussed, including details of the implementation of the two community schemes and the costs involved. A comparison is made between pico hydro and solar home systems and conclusions are presented on the way forward for off-grid electrification in Kenya.

Planning African Development

1. Raising Nutritional Levels and Rural Development in Kenya 2. Land-Use Competition at the Margins of the Rangelands: An Issue in Development Strategies for Semi-Arid Areas 3. The Rural Non-Farm Sector and the Development Process in Kenya 4. Towards a Locational Policy for Manufacturing Industry in Kenya 5. Coordinating Operating and Investment Procedures: The Need for Balance in Planning and Budgeting 6. Intra-Programme Resource Allocation: the Case of Hospitals in Kenya 7. Accounting Prices for Project Appraisal in Kenya 8. Planning and Evaluation of Rural Electrification in Kenya.