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Converting consumers into customers in slums at Sao Paulo city
One billion people and growing at a reported rate of 5% per year live in poor urban and peri-urban areas, throughout the developing world. This paper shares experiences and economic and social studies on innovative, socially responsible and cost-effective approaches, to expanding access to electricity services in these poor urban neighborhoods. The paper reviews worldwide lessons learned, with a particular highlight of the pilot project in the "favela" (slum) of Paraisopolis in Sao Paulo, Brazil, conducted by AES Eletropaulo (local utility), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the International Copper Association (ICA) with local community and industry partners... Read more
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Off-grid Solar Home System Programme South Africa
Households in South Africa far from the electric grid may have long to wait to benefit from the government's universal access to electricity targets, which focusses predominantly on grid electrification. This project describes the South African government's experience with an off-grid solar PV programme to provide isolated and rural households with electricity. This was undertaken in partnership with the private sector, with local concessionaires acting as project implementors and receiving subsidy support from the government. The programme has faced a number of challenges associated both with the inherent difficulties in servicing rural households but also because of administrative ... Read more
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Argentina: Project for Renewable Energy in Rural Markets (PERMER)
In 1999 the Argentinian government implemented the PERMER project to face the energy needs of its rural low-income population. After reforms in the 1990s, the sector could improve efficiency and quality of services, but little the access to rural population. Therefore at the beginning of the project electrification rate in Argentina was high in comparison to other developing countries, but with still 2.5 million people without electricity service in rural areas (3). To eliminate the existing economic and technical barriers, the goal of the project is the development of a sustainable energy market in cooperation with the private sector. Contents Objective Target Group Output Key Fe... Read more
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Peruvian Rural Electrification Project
In Peru more than six million people living in rural areas hadn't access to electricity in 2006. The country had one of the lowest coverage rates in Latin America at that time.(1) To improve life quality and commercial activities in those predominantly poor areas, the Peruvian government implemented a project with the help of the World Bank and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). To serve efficient and sustainable energy access to new regions, both conventional grid electricity and renewable energy systems were utilized. The possibilities for productive gains of electricity were figured out in a pilot program. As Peru counts with a high potential for hydro power, a small hydro fin... Read more
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Habitat Program Mexico
Forty percent of the population in Mexico's growing cities is poor and has no adequate access to infrastructure services. The Mexican government is working to reduce the heavy differences in the cities and support urban and social development in poor areas. In 2003 the national "Habit" program was implemented, an ongoing well-functioning project in Mexico, which is already established in 200 cities. The program faces poverty with a territorial and demographic approach. The issue of infrastructure is tackled as an integral component of a series of activities, which also include the provision of electricity grid extension to poor urban areas. In Mexico 953 mil people were without elect... Read more
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Capturing Carbon Cash through Bioethanol Gel Stoves
The Umdoni municipal area consists of mainly poor, rural communities. Half of these communities are grid-connected to Eskom (the South African electricity utility), and half are not. 51% of Umdoni households use electricity for cooking and 61% for lighting (Umdoni,2011). South Africa has an energy policy aimed at providing poor communities with at least some access to modern energy services. This is done through the Free Basic Electricity Policy (FBE) for grid-connected households and the the Free Basic Alternative Energy Policy (FBAE) for non-grid-connected households. In the case of the Umdoni target group, which is not grid-connected, the Umdoni Municipality decided to supply gel ... Read more
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Nicaragua: Renewable Energy for Rural Zones Program (PERZA)
In Nicaragua 89% of the rural population were without electricity access in 2003 (3). As the economy of the country depends to a large extent on agriculture, rural electrification is significant for economic and social development. While in the past the Nicaraguan electrification strategy was based on grid electricity the government started more and more also to consider off-grid solutions for rural areas. In this context the PERZA program was implemented to provide sustainable electricity service to selected areas and strengthen the government's institutional capacity to implement its national rural electrification strategy. The program was used to pilot some new sustainable deliver... Read more
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Natural Gas Distribution Project for Low-Income Families in Colombia
Since the 1990s, Colombia achieved large expansion in natural gas penetration, benefiting urban households. Nevertheless many families cannot pay the high switching costs and still rely on dangerous and less efficient energy resources. The project initiated by Promigas was built on an earlier small-scale pilot program funded by the Dutch government. Facing the gap of subsidies, an output-based scheme was implemented funded by GPOBA. During 2006-2008 natural gas connections and stoves were installed for around 35,000 households (2). After a successful first phase, the second consisted of management, monitoring and evaluation of the new connections. Sustainable benefits of the project ... Read more
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South African Electrification Programme
In South Africa access to electricity increased from 35% of households in 1990 to 84% in 2011 (StatsSa 2012).The political context for this dramatic increase was the transition from the racially dominated apartheid government to a democratically elected government in 1994. These changes took place in three phases. From the late 1980s to 1994, there were initial scattered efforts and preparations. In the second phase from 1994 to 2000, new policies were drafted and institutional reforms were carried out in the electricity sector. Electrification levels increase from about 35% to 71%. In the third phase from 2000 to present, institutions return to function normally and policymaking and... Read more
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The Ahmedabad slum electrification project (Gujarat, India)
This case study from India highlights a slum electrification initiative in the city of Ahmedabad in the state of Gujarat, which started with electrification of five slums in 2001 and scaled up to 710 slums in a span of 7 years. Ahmedabad with a population of 5 million and an area of 190.84 sq. km is India's fifth most populous (2011 Census) and seventh largest city, respectively. The slum electrification project was a result of a multi-stakeholder collaboration between Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), which is responsible for the civic infrastructure and administration of the city of Ahmedabad, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and The Ahmedabad Ele... Read more
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Lighting a Billion Lives (LaBL) Programme
The initiative is based on an entrepreneurial model of energy service delivery which seeks to provide high-quality and cost effective solar lanterns, disseminated through micro solar-enterprises set-up in un-electrified or poorly electrified villages. This fee-for-service model has ensured that the base of the pyramid gets access to clean energy at an affordable price. While the capital cost of setting up the charging station in the village is raised by TERI through government agencies, corporate donors, communities etc., the operation and maintenance cost is borne by the users of the solar lanterns in the form of the rent that they pay to the operator of the charging station. The re... Read more
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Solar lighting to support education in tribal residential schools of India
Koraput is one of the three most underdeveloped districts in the state of Odisha, India. Tribal dominancy coupled with rising lack of basic infrastructure such as roads, water, communication and electricity have kept these districts less developed, resulting in local conflicts. Illiteracy combined with social and gender disparity in education and other socio-economic indicators are other important causes. All the 14 blocks of this district are labeled as educationally backward blocks (EBB) and receive funds through various schemes for promotion of education. One such scheme is the establishment of residential complexes for tribal children close to their habitations to promote enrollm... Read more
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Application of Biomass gasifier technology for thermal application in food processing unit in India
The biomass gasifier is a clean energy technology that utilizes biomass for the purpose of power and thermal generation. With the rising diesel and petrol prices, biomass as an alternate fuel has attracted significant attention in the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) sector. Biomass as a fuel plays an integral role in the Indian economy, contributing nearly 28% to India's Total Primary Energy Supply (TPES). However, only 2-3% of biomass is utilized in modern, efficient technologies while the majority of biomass is burnt directly and is used primarily in domestic cooking. In order to sustain the high growth rates, access to clean forms of energy at affordable prices is inte... Read more
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The Gram Vikas-CTxGreEn Biodiesel project
The Gram Vikas-CTxGreEn Biodiesel project was launched through a World Bank Development Market Place Award (WBDM 2003) which pioneered in producing biodiesel using oil pressed from locally underutilized seeds to be used directly in all regular diesel engines. The by-products from the process such as oil cake and glycerin were also utilized as organic fertilizer and for making soap respectively. The biodiesel produced offered agro services like plowing, irrigation by powering devices like tillers, pumps etc. This model of Village Level Biodiesel (VLB) was unique in promoting local production of biodiesel for local use. Contents Objective Target Group Output Key Features of the Case... Read more
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Accelerated Rural Electrification Programme of Thailand
Electrification received high priority in the government's development strategy in Thailand. To extend electrification to different parts of the country, in the early 1970s, the government planned to provide electricity to every village within a period of 25 years to improve the quality of life in rural areas. In 1973, the government of Thailand adopted the National Plan for Thailand Accelerated Rural Electrification. This plan began an intensive program of rural electrification for the country that resulted in virtually all parts of the country having access to electricity service. In 1972, only around 10% of people living outside the Bangkok Metropolitan Area had access to electric... Read more
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