Diffusion on the ground: Rethinking the logic of scale and access in off-grid solar in Sri Lanka

Abstract

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Solar Home Systems in South Asia: Examining Adoption, Energy Consumption, and Social Practices

“…This was partly because they could afford the substantial down payment for the SHSs, while lower-class households could not meet this requirement [36]. In Sri Lanka, some SHS providers offered users the opportunity to pay for the system in installments; however, some lower-class households with irregular incomes could not afford to pay the installments, leading to cases of repossession [4]. The difference between lower-and middle-class households was not limited to urban communities.…”

“…In Nepal, over 900,000 households have access to energy via stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) systems [3]. In Sri Lanka, during the Energy Services Delivery project, which ran from 1997 to 2002, and the Renewable Energy for Rural Economic Development project, which ran from 2002 to 2011, a total of 131,528 SHSs were purchased by rural residents [4]. In Pakistan, the Sindh Solar Energy Project recently allocated US$30 million to provide 200,000 rural households with access to SHSs [5].…”

Solving Problems like Maria: A Case Study and Review of Collaborative Hurricane-Resilient Solar Energy and Autogestión in Puerto Rico

“…and our over-dependence on fossil fuels", he said, "how do we think about all this renewable stuff in ways that lead towards genuine energy independence?" [309] Many • Poorly sized installations that do not generate enough energy to meet consumer expectations and demand [322];…”

“…• Systems being jury rigged, such as the removal of charge controllers that protect batteries from overuse [322];…”

Sociomaterial Solar Waste: Afterlives and Lives After of Small Solar

“…Approaching solar waste through a postcolonial lens enables this line of questioning which does not 'follow the waste' as such but considers the effect the process of bringing electricity to people by means of solar entails and the often unintended consequences this has on the ground (Turner 2019). It questions the wider effect of the empire (Stoler 2008) and the frequent disconnect between the promise of infrastructure, to bring modernity, development, progress, and a better life, and what is actually delivered (Anand et al 2018).…”