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Energy Poverty

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Off-Grid Electrical Systems in Developing Countries

Abstract

This chapter introduces the concept of energy poverty: the lack of access to modern fuels such as electricity. Design of an appropriate off-grid system requires knowing the energy uses and needs of the local community. In this chapter the typical energy consumption of houses, schools, health-care facilities, and businesses in rural off-grid communities in developing countries is discussed. Characteristics of traditional fuels such as charcoal, fuel wood, animal dung, and crop residue are provided. The role of off-grid systems such as mini-grids, micro-grids, energy kiosks, solar home systems, and solar lanterns in alleviating energy poverty is described. Methods of measuring electricity access and through the Multi-Tier Framework are presented.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The term “tariff” refers to the pricing structure for electricity. It typically consists of a fixed monthly “connection” fee and a variable “energy” fee.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Electrical and Computer Engineering, Seattle University, Seattle, WA, USA

    Henry Louie

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  1. Henry Louie
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Louie, H. (2018). Energy Poverty. In: Off-Grid Electrical Systems in Developing Countries. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91890-7_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91890-7_2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-91889-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-91890-7

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