Indicators of sustainability: assessing the suitability of a foreign technology for a developing economy

Dunmade, Israel

doi:10.1016/s0160-791x(02)00036-2

Cited by 62 publications

(72 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…White et al [33] have also shown how unexpected policy changes can have negative impacts on investments and cause uncertainty. Furthermore, numerous studies have underscored the fact that sustainable institutions should have the ability to adapt to future needs of the population (e.g., [25,26,[34][35][36]). …”

Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainability of Off-Grid Photovoltaic Systems for Rural Electrification in Developing Countries: A Review

Féron

2016

Sustainability

115

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Abstract:A review on rural electrification programs and projects based on off-grid Photovoltaic (PV) systems, including Solar Pico Systems (SPS) and Solar Home Systems (SHS) in Developing Countries (DCs) was conducted. The goal was to highlight the main multidimensional drawbacks that may constrain the sustainability of these systems. Four dimensions of sustainability (institutional, economic, environmental and socio-cultural) were considered in this review. It was found that institutional flaws (such as the scarcity of durability/stability and enforcement of formal institutions, weak regulations or standards, incomplete decentralization/participation and the lack of institutional adaptability) seriously compromise the sustainability of rural electrification efforts in DCs. While the lack of an effective focalized subsidy scheme (e.g., cross-tariff scheme) for the electricity tariffs of the poor population often made projects economically unsustainable, the scarcity of environmental awareness, regulations or incentives has often turned presumably clean energy technologies into environmentally unsustainable projects. Progress regarding social acceptance, accuracy and cultural justice is urgently needed for ensuring the socio-cultural sustainability of rural electrification efforts in DCs. This review may help stakeholders to identify and (based on prior experiences) address the most severe drawbacks affecting the sustainability of rural electrification efforts in DCs.

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Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainability of Off-Grid Photovoltaic Systems for Rural Electrification in Developing Countries: A Review

Féron

2016

Sustainability

115

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“…The general success rate of World Bank financed electric power projects is 68%, while the success rate of such projects in the subSaharan Africa region is estimated to be only 36% [3]. The authors believe that one of the reasons for this low success rate is that the factors that need to be taken into account during the selection of a renewable energy technology in Africa have not been investigated in depth.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Selection of renewable energy technologies for Africa: Eight case studies in Rwanda, Tanzania and Malawi

2011

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a b s t r a c tRenewable energy technologies need to be implemented to improve the current lack of access to energy on the African continent. However, the implementation of renewable energy technologies in Africa often fails, or the technologies are found to be unsustainable in the longer term. Previous research determined eleven factors that should be taken into account for the selection of sustainable, renewable energy technologies in Africa. The purpose of this research was to confirm and build upon these findings by means of eight case studies that were conducted in Rwanda, Tanzania and Malawi. Various individuals from implementing agencies, as well as end users of the various technologies, were interviewed, while secondary data were gathered in the form of project reports and other documentation. The analyses of the data confirm the importance of the eleven factors that were previously identified. A final set of thirteen factors that should be used for the selection of renewable technologies are proposed.

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“…Although RE may help to increase the reliability of supply (due to the diversification of energy matrix; [23,39,41]), reliability in rural areas demands for local access to spare parts, which entails the know-how to exert maintenance [42]. Moreover, as a higher access to energy is usually correlated with higher income [38], these solutions are expected to contribute to the income-generating opportunities for inhabitants of remote areas [43][44][45].…”

Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Socio-cultural sustainability also requires social acceptance (which implies a participatory and inclusive approach in which the local community is engaged to increase their accountability for a technology; [37,54,55]); as well as accuracy (which comprises the selection of the technology appropriate to the local consumer demands; [23,42]). …”

Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are the Rural Electrification Efforts in the Ecuadorian Amazon Sustainable?

2016

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Abstract:In this paper, we assess the sustainability of rural electrification programs in Ecuador, paying special attention to programs targeting small indigenous communities in the Amazon basin. Our assessment considers four dimensions of sustainability (institutional, economic, environmental, and socio-cultural) and is based on an exhaustive qualitative document analysis, complemented by semi-structured expert interviews. We found that disruptive changes have affected the electrification policies in Ecuador during decades of avoiding the development of strengthened institutions. Despite this major drawback, we found that there is a consensus on granting access to energy for all. This partially explains the national efforts, persistent through different administrations to fund rural electrification. However, in the case of off-grid photovoltaic solutions, these efforts have consistently neglected allocating funds for operation and maintenance, which has seriously compromised the sustainability. Moreover, although Ecuadorian officials declared to favor stand-alone photovoltaic systems in the case of indigenous communities in the Amazon, we found that environmental or socio-cultural aspects have a minor role in the selection of these systems. Progress regarding environmental awareness, social acceptance, and cultural justice, is still needed for ensuring the sustainability of rural electrification efforts in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

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Indicators of sustainability: assessing the suitability of a foreign technology for a developing economy

Cited by 62 publications

References 2 publications

Sustainability of Off-Grid Photovoltaic Systems for Rural Electrification in Developing Countries: A Review

Sustainability of Off-Grid Photovoltaic Systems for Rural Electrification in Developing Countries: A Review

Selection of renewable energy technologies for Africa: Eight case studies in Rwanda, Tanzania and Malawi

Are the Rural Electrification Efforts in the Ecuadorian Amazon Sustainable?

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