Community Based Solar PV Distribution Model in Eastern Kenya: Success Factors and Challenges

Community Based Solar PV Distribution Model in Eastern Kenya: Success Factors and Challenges

Loading document ...
Page
of
Loading page ...

Author(s)

Author(s): Benard O. Muok

Download Full PDF Read Complete Article

DOI: 10.18483/ijSci.1826 56 245 19-29 Volume 7 - Nov 2018

Abstract

Access to clean ad reliable energy remains a fundamental bottleneck to the achievement of sustainable development goals in sub-Sahara Africa. In the past few years, solar energy has emerged as one of the most viable options to enhance energy access, especially in the rural areas where grid extension may not be economically feasible. This realisation has seen many governments and development partners focusing attention of promotion of solar energy. Kenya is recorded as country with one of the fasted growing solar market among the developing countries. Despite this achievement, there are a number of challenges facing solar market in Kenya. One of such challenges include identification appropriate distribution/business model. Different development agents employ different distribution models. One such model is the central charging centres. These centres operate on a rental system where portable solar lanterns are rented to household at a fee and the households have to drop and pick the lanterns either on daily basis or whenever the battery is discharged. Such centres was established at Ikisaya market in Kitui County by University of Oslo in collaboration with the Energy Resource Institute (TERI), African Centre for Technology Studies and other local partners. There years after the establishment, a study was carried out to determine the level of adoption of solar technology and identify the success factors and challenges. The study revealed that the centre has played a big role in introducing solar technology to a community who has predominantly been using kerosene candles. The main success factors were identified as the cost of technology, which was perceived to be lower than the alternative, ease of operation and ease of access of the technology. On the flip side governance issues remain a challenge to long tern sustainability.

References

  1. World Energy Outlook 2014 report. IEA, Paris. 2014.
  2. Muok, B.O. and Makokha, W.B. Accelerating Energy Access to the Rural Poor in Kenya through Pico-Solar Market Development. International Journal of New Technology and Research (IJNTR), Volume-3, Issue-10, October 2017 Pages 37-44.
  3. Green economy report. UNEP, Nairobi, 2014.
  4. http://www.erc.go.ke/index.php?option=com_fsf&view=faq&catid=2&Itemid=649
  5. Hankins M., A. Saini, and P. Kirai. Target market analysis. Kenya’s solar energy market 2009. Available at , last accessed on October 3, 2017.

Cite this Article:

International Journal of Sciences is Open Access Journal.
This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License.
Author(s) retain the copyrights of this article, though, publication rights are with Alkhaer Publications.

Search Articles

Issue June 2023

Volume 12, June 2023


Table of Contents



World-wide Delivery is FREE

Share this Issue with Friends:


Submit your Paper