A study into the techno-economic feasibility of photovoltaic and wind generated electricity for enhancement of sustainable livelihoods on Likoma Island in Malawi

This research investigated the techno-economic feasibility of increasing hours of electricity services on Likoma Island in Malawi; making use of solar photovoltaic and wind power in order to enhance sustainable livelihood. Likoma Island grid is operated independent of the mainland grid; and the island is supplied electricity by diesel generators which are scheduled for only 14 hours per day. The limited hours of electricity supply constrains the delivery of essential services and hinders people from achieving sustainable livelihoods. The research used empirical and modelled data of solar irradiance and hub height wind speed, photovoltaic and wind energy systems costs, diesel-generator operation costs, energy needs, energy use patterns, electricity demand profile, and prevailing socioeconomic conditions. Diesel, photovoltaic, and wind based energy systems feeding the Island s grid; and autonomous photovoltaic and wind energy systems for selected essential institutions were modelled and simulated using the Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewables. Energy system solutions are proposed indicating cost factors and opportunities for the enhancement of sustainable livelihoods. The thesis argues that with the financial resources committed to the prevailing 14-hours supply of electricity by diesel generators, it is feasible to provide Likoma Island with electricity for 24 hours every day by photovoltaic and wind based energy systems. A deployment model which uses excess energy from the modelled photovoltaic and wind power systems to serve non-grid loads and livelihood activities which are difficult to account for when sizing embedded renewable energy systems has been developed. The findings provide cost projections of photovoltaic and wind energy systems relative to diesel generators upon which investment and policy decisions can be made. Microscale wind maps at 10 m, 25 m, 40 m and 50 m have been developed for identification of potential wind turbine sites. Empirical socioeconomic data which are essential for the design of delivery mechanisms for renewable energy systems have been generated. The deployment model proposed by the research gives new insights into holistic ways of enhancing sustainable energy access in low-income communities. The interdisciplinary insights provided by this thesis can be applied in other countries and communities with similar socioeconomic contexts to Likoma Island

Overview of the Malawi energy situation and A PESTLE analysis for sustainable development of renewable energy

This paper presents an overview of the Malawi energy situation and the potential of renewable energy resources including solar, wind, biomass, hydro and geothermal. Despite a range of efforts by local and international stakeholders to increase access to modern energy sources in the country, 89 per cent of Malawi׳s energy is still sourced from traditional biomass mainly fuel wood. Only 8 per cent of the population in Malawi have access to electricity but installed capacity of electricity generation is lower than demand. This leads to load shedding by the electricity supplier; consequently electricity supply in Malawi is unreliable and micro and macroeconomic activities are significantly affected. Solar, non-traditional biomass (crop residues and forest residues not burnt on three stone fireplaces, and biogas), hydro, wind and geothermal are potential energy resources that could enhance Malawi׳s energy security. However, unreliable financing mechanisms for large scale energy projects; shortage of trained human resource; lack of coordination among local institutions; unclear regulation enforcement; and sometimes political governance impede sustainable delivery of energy projects. The Malawi energy policy targets and drivers are also discussed in the paper. Based on the prevailing energy situation, a PESTLE analysis is provided in this paper outlining a novel thinking for addressing the political (P), economic (E), social (S), technological (T), legal (L), and environmental (E) challenges that constrain the development of renewable energy technologies in Malawi

Malawi District Energy Officer Blueprint : Recommendations Paper

This recommendations paper outlines the proposed role of District Energy Officers (DEOs) in Malawi as a conduit for the Government of Malawi to facilitate the decentralisation of a sustainable energy policy to district level. If developed sensitively and effectively and resourced appropriately, the implementation of DEOs in Malawi could help to strengthen levels of community ownership and empowerment; achieved through energy initiatives, improved communication and networking around energy issues at district level, electricity access development at district level and enhanced electricity literacy through roles in sensitisation and dissemination of knowledge of decentralised energy technologies and processes This paper confirms the Government of Malawi’s proposal that the introduction of an effective DEO programme will assist the Government in decentralisation of its national renewable energy strategy while aligning renewable electricity development with key national energy use targets ; 20% of national energy generation from renewable energy sources and a reduction of 22% in biomass usage by 2025. A decentralised DEO role, working within a centralised management and financial structure is supported by this recommendations paper as an effective methodology for energy decentralisation in Malawi. The support structure and accountability structure outlined in this recommendations paper can be used by the Government of Malawi to empower rural communities in Malawi in taking ownership of their energy sources and their energy use, primarily through design and support of community based development. DEOs act to improve community livelihoods through an increase in local earning potential and co-constructively act to improve national energy security and poverty alleviation across all districts of Malawi

Decentralization : the key to accelerating access to distributed energy services in sub-Saharan Africa?

The decentralization of governance is increasingly considered crucial for delivering development and is being widely adopted in sub-Saharan countries. At the same time, distributed (decentralized) energy systems are increasingly recognized for their role in achieving universal access to energy and are being promoted in sub-Saharan countries. However, little attention has been paid by governments and energy practitioners to the dynamic interrelationships between national and local government and the role of governance decentralization in transitioning to distributed energy systems. This paper traces the complex relationships between accelerated delivery of distributed energy and decentralized local governance systems. The argument is grounded in an exploration of two different approaches to decentralized energy systems governance in Kenya and Malawi. For Kenya, analysis focuses on the energy sector since the adoption of the new decentralized constitution in 2010. In Malawi, it focuses on the involvement of the authors in piloting Local Authority Energy Officers in districts under the decentralization of Malawian energy policy. Our analysis shows that accelerating the speed and scale of implementation for distributed energy systems and enhancing their sustainability and socio-economic impacts is directly linked to the quality of local and national governance structures and their interrelationships. The paper extends existing work in energy and evidence literacy for policy actors by developing an analytical framework, to enable more effective local governance within energy access initiatives in the Global South

Delivering an off-grid transition to sustainable energy in Ethiopia and Mozambique

Background: Off-grid and decentralized energy systems have emerged as an alternative to facilitate energy access and resilience in a flexible, adaptable way, particularly for communities that do not have reliable access to centralized energy networks both in rural and urban areas. Much research to date on community energy systems has focused on their deployment in Europe and North America. This paper advances these debates by looking at how community energy systems can support energy transitions in Africa. Specifically, it asks: what role can community energy systems play in the energy transition in East and Southern Africa? Results: This article investigates the potential for community energy to foster sustainable and just energy transitions in two countries in East and Southern Africa, namely Ethiopia and Mozambique. To do so, it explores transformations in Ethiopia and Mozambique’s energy systems through the lens of energy landscapes. This concept enables us to situate energy transitions within recent developments in energy governance and to understand current and future possibilities for change through the involvement of communities that currently lack access to reliable and clean energy. Our results show that when countries face the prospects of lucrative energy investments in natural gas or large hydropower, renewables are often deprioritized. Their suitability to address energy challenges and access gaps is de-emphasized, even though there is little evidence that investment in large-scale generation can handle the energy needs of the most disadvantaged groups. Initiatives and policies supporting community-focused renewable energy have remained limited in both countries. They tend to be designed from the top-down and focused on rural areas when they exist. Conclusions: Energy transitions in Ethiopia and Mozambique, and many other countries with significant gaps in access to centralized energy systems, require putting inclusivity at the forefront to ensure that energy policies and infrastructure support the well-being of society as a whole. As long as investments in off-grid energy continue to depend on international organizations’ goodwill or development aid programs outside the ambit of national energy plans, energy access gaps will remain unaddressed, and there will not be a genuine and just transition to sustainable energy

Putting the end-user first: towards addressing the contesting values in renewable energy systems deployment for low income households - a case of Likoma Island in Malawi

This work is part of an ongoing research in which amongst the objectives, a hybrid photovoltaic-wind-diesel system was modelled for Likoma Island. The modelled hybrid system has potential to reduce the generation cost compared to the existing diesel generators by approximately 34-62% depending on interest rates on financing. However, this would not be enough to reduce the subsidised electricity tariff which is charged at US$0.07 per kWh to users including low-income households. This paper focuses on the energy needs and energy requirements for good well-being; household purchasing-power; prioritisation of energy services; and past experiences with traditional and conventional energy sources relating to service satisfaction for households at Likoma Island based on empirical data. The paper discusses potential barriers to meeting the household energy requirements from grid based renewable energy solutions. Approaches for addressing the identified barriers, and the required attributes for new technological solutions are proposed

Towards a repair research agenda for off-grid solar e-waste in the Global South

There has been a boom in the sale of small-scale off-grid solar products across the Global South over the past decade. A substantial portion of this boom has been driven by international investment in off-grid solar start-up companies, and a formalized off-grid solar sector has been established, with the Global Off-Grid Lighting Association acting as a key representative body. Although this boom has aided in extending electricity access to many energy-poor households and businesses, an emerging concern is the short (three to four years) working life that these off-grid solar products typically have. This has led to a growing issue of solar e-waste. Here we examine how the structure of the off-grid solar sector results in substantial barriers to addressing solar e-waste in the Global South. We consider how practices of repair might contribute to addressing the issue, and set out a research agenda to facilitate new approaches to the issues of solar e-waste

Impacts and coping mechanisms for the Covid-19 pandemic in Malawi’s energy sector

Energy is critical to managing the COVID-19 pandemic. It is expected of the energy systems and infrastructure that are crucial for modern life that they be resilient to natural disasters and other unintended occurrences and risks. However, the scale of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected all of the world’s countries at the same time, is a test to the resilience of energy systems globally.This paper presents the results of two EEG-funded online workshops hosted by Mzuzu University on the impact of COVID-19 on Malawi’s energy sector, and the coping mechanisms employed by the various stakeholders within the sector.</div

Unbending the winding path of a low-income country’s energy sector amid the COVID-19 pandemic: perspectives from Malawi

This paper discusses the impact of COVID-19’s vulnerability context on Malawi’s Energy Sector and outlines mechanisms for enhancing Malawi’s energy-sector resilience based on experiences from a range of stakeholders. The investigation was conducted online by inviting purposively selected stakeholders to create presentations responding to thematic questions. The final sample had 19 stakeholders with representation from policy-makers, regulatory bodies, national grid supply players, off-grid players, development agencies, bankers, professional bodies, civil society, and women’s rights bodies. The presentations from the stakeholders highlighted how COVID-19 affects the operation costs of energy systems and implementation of energy systems projects in areas that require stimulus packages to contain energy system delivery costs and prevent disruption of essential services amid the COVID-19 pandemic. These services include stakeholder responses to COVID-19 in the energy sector, the role of digital payments particularly when purchasing electricity units, and the state of third-party service providers such as banks and mobile network operators to enhance preparedness and continuity of operations for the energy sector. Based on the findings in these thematic areas and an application of systems thinking in the analysis, the paper finally makes recommendations on how Malawi and similar low-income countries can strategise to enhance energy systems resilience

Delivering an off-grid transition to sustainable energy in Ethiopia and Mozambique

Off-grid and decentralized energy systems have emerged as an alternative to facilitate energy access and resilience in a flexible, adaptable way, particularly for communities that do not have reliable access to centralized energy networks both in rural and urban areas. Much research to date on community energy systems has focused on their deployment in Europe and North America. This paper advances these debates by looking at how community energy systems can support energy transitions in Africa. Specifically, it asks: what role can community energy systems play in the energy transition in East and Southern Africa