Renewable Energy Technologies for Decentralised Rural Electricity Services

The report evaluates the use of solar PV, wind, mini-hydro, and biomass for rural electrification in developing countries, concluding that technology choice must be driven by local needs and productive use. It highlights that while solar PV is best for low loads, biomass and mini-hydro support more significant economic activities. The document argues that donor agencies should prioritize projects based on poverty alleviation and productive electricity use, support national energy policies, and accept higher risks for technology adaptation and workforce development.

• Renewable energy technologies should be selected only when they provide advantages over grid connections or diesel generators, such as lower costs, better reliability, fewer local environmental impacts, or enhanced local income-generating opportunities.
• Different technologies are suited to different power demands: solar PV is realistic for very small demands, while biomass fuels are unsuitable for small demands with low load factors. Mini-hydro and wind can serve a wide range of loads but depend on specific site conditions.
• Biomass-based electricity generation has a higher potential for creating local employment compared to other renewables because a significant portion of life-cycle costs is spent on fuel, which becomes revenue for local workers and entrepreneurs.
• In Brazil, hybrid photovoltaic-diesel systems are proposed as a reliable alternative for remote rainforest communities; while currently dependent on subsidies, they may become viable as PV costs decline and diesel costs increase.
• Experience in Kenya with mini-hydro projects in Mbuiru and Thima showed that technical failures often result from inferior equipment and a lack of local maintenance skills, making projects dependent on external support.
• In Mongolia, the '100,000 Solar Ger' programme (2000-2010) aims to provide solar home systems to nomadic herders, as wind and solar are the only viable options for this population due to the cost of transporting fuel.
• Nepal's experience with micro-hydro and solar PV indicates that the poorest populations cannot afford these services even with subsidies, necessitating the development of lower-cost technologies and better access to credit.
• Biomass gasification in India, specifically at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, has demonstrated high reliability and lower generation costs than the national grid in some rural hamlets like Hosahalli.
• Donor agencies are recommended to prioritize rural electrification projects based on their expected impact on poverty alleviation and the potential for productive uses of electricity.
• Donors should support the development of new technologies and local workforce capacity but must ensure that rural villages are not used as testing grounds for unproven technology.

APA

Kjellström, B., Arvidson, A., Forslund, H., & Martinac, I. (2005). Renewable Energy Technologies for Decentralised Rural Electricity Services. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/renenergytech.pdf

Chicago

Kjellström, Björn, Anders Arvidson, Helena Forslund, and Ivo Martinac. Renewable Energy Technologies for Decentralised Rural Electricity Services. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2005. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/renenergytech.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kjellström |first1=Björn |last2=Arvidson |first2=Anders |last3=Forslund |first3=Helena |last4=Martinac |first4=Ivo |title=Renewable Energy Technologies for Decentralised Rural Electricity Services |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=January 2005 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/renenergytech.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kjellstrm2005renewable, author = {Kjellström, Björn and Arvidson, Anders and Forslund, Helena and Martinac, Ivo}, title = {{Renewable Energy Technologies for Decentralised Rural Electricity Services}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2005}, month = jan, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/renenergytech.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }