IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/zbw/rwirep/619.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Solar off-grid markets in Africa: Recent dynamics and the role of branded products

Author

Listed:
  • Grimm, Michael
  • Peters, Jörg

Abstract

Solar off -grid technologies have become a lower-cost alternative to grid-based electrification in rural Africa. As a contribution to the United Nations' electricity for all goals, policy currently promotes branded solar products based on the assumption that high-quality standards are necessary. We provide evidence suggesting that nonbranded technologies have already made widespread inroads to rural households. Quality is not necessarily worse, in particular if the considerably lower end-user prices are accounted for. A justification of branded solar promotion programs can thus not only be based on energy access arguments, but rather on environmental concerns related to electronic waste. Moreover, we show that if poorer strata are to be reached, end-user subsidies are required.

Suggested Citation

  • Grimm, Michael & Peters, Jörg, 2016. "Solar off-grid markets in Africa: Recent dynamics and the role of branded products," Ruhr Economic Papers 619, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
  • Handle: RePEc:zbw:rwirep:619
    DOI: 10.4419/86788721
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/142703/1/862461723.pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.4419/86788721?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jörg Peters & Maximiliane Sievert, 2016. "Impacts of rural electrification revisited – the African context," Journal of Development Effectiveness, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(3), pages 327-345, July.
    2. Michael Grimm & Anicet Munyehirwe & Jörg Peters & Maximiliane Sievert, 2017. "A First Step up the Energy Ladder? Low Cost Solar Kits and Household’s Welfare in Rural Rwanda," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 31(3), pages 631-649.
    3. repec:zbw:rwirep:0554 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Bensch, Gunther & Peters, Jörg & Sievert, Maximiliane, 2015. "The lighting transition in Africa: From kerosene to LED and the emerging dry-cell battery problem," Ruhr Economic Papers 579, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Bensch, Gunther & Grimm, Michael & Huppertz, Maximilian & Langbein, Jörg & Peters, Jörg, 2018. "Are promotion programs needed to establish off-grid solar energy markets? Evidence from rural Burkina Faso," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 1060-1068.
    2. Michael Grimm & Luciane Lenz & Jörg Peters & Maximiliane Sievert, 2020. "Demand for Off-Grid Solar Electricity: Experimental Evidence from Rwanda," Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, University of Chicago Press, vol. 7(3), pages 417-454.
    3. Paul G. Munro & Shanil Samarakoon & Ulrich E. Hansen & Matthew Kearnes & Anna Bruce & Jamie Cross & Sarah Walker & Collen Zalengera, 2023. "Towards a repair research agenda for off-grid solar e-waste in the Global South," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 8(2), pages 123-128, February.
    4. Wong, Jason Chun Yu & Blankenship, Brian & Harish, S.P. & Urpelainen, Johannes, 2022. "Increasing microsolar technology adoption: Efficacy of vouchers, cash transfers, and microfinance schemes," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    5. World Bank Group, "undated". "Africa's Pulse, No. 17, April 2018," World Bank Publications - Reports 29667, The World Bank Group.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Lenz, Luciane & Munyehirwe, Anicet & Peters, Jörg & Sievert, Maximiliane, 2017. "Does Large-Scale Infrastructure Investment Alleviate Poverty? Impacts of Rwanda’s Electricity Access Roll-Out Program," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 88-110.
    2. Peters, Jörg, 2016. "Infrastructure and poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa: A review," Ruhr Economic Papers 628, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    3. Bensch, Gunther & Grimm, Michael & Huppertz, Maximilian & Langbein, Jörg & Peters, Jörg, 2018. "Are promotion programs needed to establish off-grid solar energy markets? Evidence from rural Burkina Faso," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 1060-1068.
    4. Sievert, Maximiliane & Steinbuks, Jevgenijs, 2020. "Willingness to pay for electricity access in extreme poverty: Evidence from sub-Saharan Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    5. Blimpo, Moussa P. & Postepska, Agnieszka & Xu, Yanbin, 2020. "Why is household electricity uptake low in Sub-Saharan Africa?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    6. Xavier Lemaire, 2018. "Solar home systems and solar lanterns in rural areas of the Global South: What impact?," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 7(5), September.
    7. Beyene, Abebe D. & Mekonnen, Alemu & Jeuland, Marc & Czakon, Sebastian, 2024. "Socioeconomic impacts of solar home systems in rural Ethiopia," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).
    8. Meriggi, Niccolò F. & Bulte, Erwin & Mobarak, Ahmed Mushfiq, 2021. "Subsidies for technology adoption: Experimental evidence from rural Cameroon," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    9. Michael Grimm & Luciane Lenz & Jörg Peters & Maximiliane Sievert, 2020. "Demand for Off-Grid Solar Electricity: Experimental Evidence from Rwanda," Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, University of Chicago Press, vol. 7(3), pages 417-454.
    10. Jörg Peters, 2017. ", by A. Estache and Q. Wodon," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(3), pages 460-462, March.
    11. Ankel-Peters, Jörg & Schmidt, Christoph M., 2023. "Rural electrification, the credibility revolution, and the limits of evidence-based policy," Ruhr Economic Papers 1051, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    12. Richard S. J. Tol, 2023. "Navigating the energy trilemma during geopolitical and environmental crises," Papers 2301.07671, arXiv.org.
    13. Peters, Jörg & Sievert, Maximiliane & Toman, Michael A., 2019. "Rural electrification through mini-grids: Challenges ahead," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 27-31.
    14. Chindarkar, Namrata & Goyal, Nihit, 2023. "Did it increase energy consumption? A difference-in-differences evaluation of a rural electrification policy in Gujarat, India using night-time lights data," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    15. Liu, Yang & Bah, Zainab, 2021. "Enabling development impact of solar mini-grids through the community engagement: Evidence from rural Sierra Leone," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    16. Wagner, Natascha & Rieger, Matthias & Bedi, Arjun S. & Vermeulen, Jurgen & Demena, Binyam Afewerk, 2021. "The impact of off-grid solar home systems in Kenya on energy consumption and expenditures," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    17. Obsa Urgessa Ayana & Jima Degaga, 2022. "Effects of rural electrification on household welfare: a meta-regression analysis," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 69(2), pages 209-261, June.
    18. Giacomo Falchetta & Nicolò Stevanato & Magda Moner-Girona & Davide Mazzoni & Emanuela Colombo & Manfred Hafner, 2020. "M-LED: Multi-sectoral Latent Electricity Demand Assessment for Energy Access Planning," Working Papers 2020.09, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    19. Bensch, Gunther & Grimm, Michael, 2024. "Behavioural constraints in energy technology uptake: Evidence from real-purchase offers in rural Rwanda and Senegal," Ruhr Economic Papers 1081, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    20. Bensch, Gunther & Gotz, Gunnar & Peters, Jörg, 2020. "Effects of rural electrification on employment: A comment on Dinkelman (2011)," Ruhr Economic Papers 840, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    rural electrification; energy access; energy poverty; technology adoption;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • Q41 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Demand and Supply; Prices

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:zbw:rwirep:619. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/rwiesde.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.