Working Paper: NBER ID: w21949
Authors: Kenneth Lee; Edward Miguel; Catherine Wolfram
Abstract: In Sub-Saharan Africa, there are active debates about whether increases in energy access should be driven by investments in electric grid infrastructure or small-scale “home solar” systems (e.g., solar lanterns and solar home systems). We summarize the results of a household electrical appliance survey and describe how households in rural Kenya differ in terms of appliance ownership and aspirations. Our data suggest that home solar is not a substitute for grid power. Furthermore, the environmental advantages of home solar are likely to be relatively small in countries like Kenya, where grid power is primarily derived from non-fossil fuel sources
Keywords: Energy Access; Solar Energy; Electric Grid; Rural Kenya
JEL Codes: O18; Q42
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| energy access type (Q40) | appliance ownership (L68) |
| grid connection (Y10) | number of appliances owned (L68) |
| home solar systems (Q42) | appliance aspirations (L68) |
| home solar systems (Q42) | energy needs met (Q41) |
| energy source type (Q42) | environmental impact (F64) |