Research agendas on renewable energies in the Global South: A systematic literature review

Given the global importance of deploying renewable energies (RE) in countries of the Global South, the relevant research landscape is still sparse. Through a systematic literature review and analysis of the 90 most highly cited articles on RE in Africa, Asia and South America, we characterize the topics and approaches explored so far. We find that quantitative approaches, especially energy models, dominate the research, with topics focusing on resources, potential energy demands, and production of energy using RE technologies. The political and social processes so critical to a sustainable energy transition are underresearched. Work on the development nexus is scarce, especially considering articles selected for analysis focus specifically on the Global South. Analytic perspectives are predominantly techno-economic, with a conspicuous lack of thought given to business potentials and energy infrastructure. Some recognition exists that the concept of technology maturity has to be expanded to capture the specific local conditions that affect technology diffusion. And while the role of actors in an energy system is acknowledged, it is done so only in general, giving us little insight into knowledge acquisition and transfer, or networks of social capital. Policy perspectives are of course addressed, but these tend to regard the state as an autonomous actor. Governance systems where policies evolve through competing interests are largely ignored. Established concepts are often inadequate to meet the challenge of decarbonizing energy systems. To find viable solutions, scientists should therefore investigate in new research directions, which we highlight in the conclusion of our analysis.