Interest in Solar Photovoltaic (PV) and Peer-To-Peer Energy Trading for Back-Up Electricity in Nigerian Residential Housing Estates

Solar energy presents a highly viable alternative for backup electricity provision in urban Nigeria, as the technology is now mature. Due to widespread electricity black-outs, petrol and diesel generators are widely used, causing local air and noise pollu-tion and contributing to climate change. However, the main clean alternative, solar, has little foothold in the Nigerian energy market. The thesis explores whether households value the “clean power” benefit of the widespread adoption of solar en-ergy for backup electricity in residential estates. It employs a mixed-method ap-proach using semi-structured interviews, a survey, and a discrete choice experiment with 649 respondents in Ibadan, a Nigerian city, to provide insights into preferences for clean and quiet solar PV backup electricity on a residential estate as well as en-ergy trading preferences. Applying quantitative and qualitative methods, the study finds that consumers are interested in dwelling in estates that only permit cleaner backup alternatives, including solar and inverters, compared with the status quo op-tion of staying in estates with petrol or diesel generators. The study also finds that consumers are interested in peer-to-peer energy trading, with differences in prefer-ences for selling and buying excess electricity from neighbours. The thesis also finds that autarky aspirations and financial benefits are key factors that influence partici-pation in energy trading. The findings demonstrate that whilst the electricity supply remains unreliable, there is an opportunity for solar PV to claim a much larger share of the backup electricity market. Furthermore, policymakers and clean energy pro-viders keen to increase the uptake of residential solar energy should highlight the clean and quiet benefits of solar energy for the residents themselves. This research also demonstrates an opportunity to develop and market clean, quiet estates that appeal to people concerned about the health impacts of generator use

Peer-to-Peer energy trading, independence aspirations and financial benefits among Nigerian households

This paper demonstrates how preferences for energy trading are influenced by autarky aspirations and possible financial benefits from energy trading in the form of lower energy expenses and additional income. It presents findings from a survey on preferences for energy trading on a community-based platform within a residential estate setting. The survey included a choice experiment of hypothetical home choices with the possibility of energy trading on a peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading platform. It also distinguished between preferences for buying and selling. Participants were 649 residents of housing estates in Ibadan, a Nigerian city. According to our logistic regression analysis, willingness to participate in energy trading was influenced by autarky aspirations and financial benefits. The financial benefits that interest respondents include gaining additional income from P2P energy trading and reducing overall power expenses. The autarky benefit that drives interest in P2P is “reduced reliance” on the grid for electricity. Real estate developers could therefore capitalise on consumers' high levels of interest in the benefits of homes with P2P energy trading capabilities. Nigerian energy policymakers should put in place structures that support P2P because P2P energy trading can unlock the additional value of solar PV for residential consumers