Proceedings of the International Conference on Energising the SDGs through Appropriate Technology and Governance

This volume presents the papers presented at the international conference on Energising the SDGs through appropriate technology and governance. Papers were presented in eight sessions. In addition, there was a keynote speech, a panel discussion, a workshop on Sustainability Compass and a lunch-time poster session. This compendium provides a summary of the event and includes original papers and posters delivered at the conference. These covered various themes, including climate action plan in UK and Japanese cities and their alignment with the SDGs; sustainable energy access; contribution of renewable energies, urban design and sustainable development goals, tools for evaluation and monitoring of progress with the SDGs, and innovations and business models for various services

Energy demand models for policy formulation : a comparative study of energy demand models

This paper critically reviews existing energy demand forecasting methodologies highlighting the methodological diversities and developments over the past four decades in order to investigate whether the existing energy demand models are appropriate for capturing the specific features of developing countries. The study finds that two types of approaches, econometric and end-use accounting, are used in the existing energy demand models. Although energy demand models have greatly evolved since the early 1970s, key issues such as the poor-rich and urban-rural divides, traditional energy resources, and differentiation between commercial and non-commercial energy commodities are often poorly reflected in these models. While the end-use energy accounting models with detailed sector representations produce more realistic projections compared with the econometric models, they still suffer from huge data deficiencies especially in developing countries. Development and maintenance of more detailed energy databases, further development of models to better reflect developing country context, and institutionalizing the modeling capacity in developing countries are the key requirements for energy demand modeling to deliver richer and more reliable input to policy formulation in developing countries.Energy Production and Transportation,Energy Demand,Environment and Energy Efficiency,Energy and Environment,Economic Theory&Research

Mini-grid based electrification in Bangladesh: Technical configuration and business analysis

AbstractThis paper presents a local level study of a village off-grid system in Bangladesh. It applies an integrated methodology that identifies the demand in the off-grid village context using alternative scenarios. The techno-economic analysis of the optimal off-grid system architecture is then presented using HOMER software. Three energy resources are considered, namely solar energy, wind and diesel fuel. The optimal configuration suggested for the scenarios consists of diesel generators for the basic level of demand and PV-diesel hybrid for higher demand and reliable supply scenarios. The cost of electricity per kWh remains high for the basic level of supply and decreases as the system size increases. However, the capital and asset replacement costs increased considerably for bigger systems. The business case is then analysed for each scenario and it was found that it is practically impossible to reach grid price parity even with full capital cost subsidy, indicating significant amount of operating cost subsidy requirement that makes the larger systems financially unsustainable. Moreover, the small mini-grid system for the basic level of supply emerges as a cheaper option than providing the consumers with solar home systems. But the monthly electricity bill will become unaffordable for most consumers when demand restrictions are removed. Accordingly, the paper suggests a mini-grid based electricity supply to provide the basic level of provision alongside productive energy use during off-peak hours as the starting point. If the business develops and the demand improves, the system can be expanded subsequently using appropriate technology combinations

Are the off-grid customers ready to pay for electricity from the decentralized renewable hybrid mini-grids? A study of willingness to pay in rural Bangladesh

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.Off-grid rural and remote area electrification through decentralized renewable hybrid mini-grids (HMG) has been prioritized in the recent national renewable energy policy of Bangladesh. Research was carried out to explore the actual customer willingness to pay (WTP) for the electricity to be supplied by such HMGs, while considering a wide spectrum of socioeconomic factors. Door to door household survey was conducted using structured questionnaire to collect respondent data in December 2015 from six off-grid villages under three different administrative districts. Wide variations in current cost of kerosene based lighting and expected load demand were observed among different income groups. Average monthly cost of lighting ranged between USD 3.0 to USD 9.24 and expected electricity usages as 3.60kWh and 33.76kWh. Families with higher income showed least mean satisfaction with kerosene lighting. However, strong mean willingness to switch HMG has been identified regardless of income status. The dichotomous choice contingent valuation method (CVM) was applied for this purpose. The maximum WPT value (USD 0.432/kWh) identified here indicates that a sustainable tariff model can be applied for attracting private investment in this sector

Analysing climate action plans of selected UK cities for their SDG alignment

In UK, the Climate change Act of 2008 has placed a binding target of reducing the net carbon emission in 2050 by at least 80% compared to the 1990 baseline. With a high share of urban population, the contribution of cities and urban areas towards climate change mitigation and adaptation becomes crucial. UK being a signatory to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in 2016, there is a new emphasis on the sustainability of cities as well. In this paper, a preliminary analysis of climate action initiatives of three UK cities (Bristol, Leicester and Milton Keynes) and their alignment with the SDG is presented. We used a text mining approach to analyse the climate action plans and then use this to map the alignment with the SDGs. We find that climate action plans have not focused on the sustainable development goals or the SDGs and their focus remains limited mainly to mitigation activities through promotion of renewable energies at homes and in buildings and actions on transport. However, climate action plans could influence a significant number of SDGs and an integrated approach could be beneficial for the cities and their residents

Preliminary identification of potential markets for off-grid electrification: Tool development and a case study of Ghana

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.With more than 1 billion people lacking access to electricity in the world, ensuring universal access to electricity by 2030 remains a major challenge which cannot be left to the government initiatives alone. Access to local information and identification of potential areas for investment can be a challenge for investors. This paper provides a tool for preliminary assessment of potential markets for off-grid electrification in developing countries and applies this to Ghana to demonstrate its applicability. A multi-criteria approach is used to rank the districts according to the overall potential and the best markets and least favourable areas for investment are identified. The tool offers flexibility to include new inputs to the analysis and the factor weights can be adjusted as appropriate. The case study shows that the tool can effectively identify potential areas from a list of candidates and offers support to analysts

Off-grid electricity interventions for cleaner livelihoods: A Case study of value chain development in Dhenkanal district of Odisha

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.Lack of access to electricity in rural areas hinders productive activities, which in turn affects sustainable rural development. Off-grid electrification options can offer an alternative but in order to develop productive uses of electricity in off-grid area, a detailed study of livelihoods and potential areas for improvement in the value chain is required. This paper reports such a study where a livelihood baseline survey was undertaken in a cluster of five remote off-grid village in Dhenkanal district of Odisha (India) and through a series of interviews, focused group meetings and stakeholder interactions, the study finds that value-added services can be developed through an off-grid electrification intervention. Electrification can support productive activities, thereby offering an opportunity for improved income generation and a better quality of life and a transition to cleaner energy sources. The study provides a novel value chain framework for linking off grid projects with local livelihoods replicable across multiple geographies ensuring sustainability of these projects

Influence of India’s transformation on residential energy demand

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.This paper analyses the economic and demographic transformation taking place in India and estimates the implication of these changes on residential energy demand up to 2030 horizon. It uses a bottom-up modelling approach for the demand analysis and finds that unless mitigation measures are taken, the demand will explode. There is a window of opportunity for improving energy efficiency to manage the demand

Mini-Grids for the Base of the Pyramid Market: A Critical Review

The lack of access to electricity of more than 1.1 billion people around the world remains a major developmental challenge and Goal 7 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) as well as Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) have set a target of universal electrification by 2030. Various studies have identified mini-grid-based electrification as a possible solution. There is a growing body of literature available now that has explored the feasibility, practical application and policy interventions required to support mini-grids. Through a review of available literature, this paper explores whether mini-grids can be a solution for the base of the pyramid (BoP) market and the challenges faced in deploying mini-grids in such markets. Interventions to support the mini-grid deployment are also discussed. The paper finds that the mini-grids are targeting the BoP market but the business is not attractive in profitability terms and requires financial support. Lack of regulatory clarity and non-coordinated policies affect the financial viability of projects, which requires careful support. Mini-grid electrification has hardly been embedded in rural development agenda and hence they have not contributed significantly to livelihood generation. Careful realignment of policies, regulatory frameworks and support systems can better support mini-grid deployment in developing countries

Sustainable issues in low-middle income apartments in urban Amman/Jordan: heating devices and health concerns

Energy security constitutes a major challenge for sustainable development of the Kingdom of Jordan. This has led the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to integrate a comprehensive energy master plan for developing the energy sector by 2029. Of the total residential energy consumption, 61% is consumed for heating spaces. GHG emissions produced by domestic stock in Jordan are anticipated to increase by 59% by 2018. Most households heat their houses using traditional devices such as portable unflued kerosene and LPG stoves. Combustion of such heaters generates toxic by-products causing symptoms and illness among residents as a result of poor indoor air quality. This paper discusses aforementioned issues in view of urban low-middle income apartments in the capital Amman, aiming towards investigating types of stoves used and health implications associated with using them. A representative sample of 106 low-middle income households in urban Amman have been surveyed, through semi-structured interviews, to explore how they responded to the environmental conditions. Results showed that unflued kerosene and LPG stoves were used for heating spaces by around 39% and 89% of the total surveyed households, respectively. It was also found that almost 65% of them used more than one device for heating their apartments. Furthermore, around 50% of those households reported different health problems related to asthma which could partially be due to the use of these heating devices. The field study also showed that almost 75% of households lived in apartments constructed with external envelopes of cement hollow blocks leading to poorer fabric performance. The paper concludes with calling for thrift retrofit interventions for existing low-middle income apartments and raising inhabitants’ awareness towards the proper use of stoves. This would enhance their thermal comfort, reduce carbon emissions and help improve residents’ quality of life, which eventually would contribute in ameliorating related health issues