{"title":"Understanding interconnection rule non-compliance: Lessons from South Africa's surge in unauthorised distributed energy resources","authors":"Josh A. Dippenaar, Bernard Bekker","doi":"10.1016/j.esd.2025.101661","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.esd.2025.101661","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The integration of distributed energy resources (DERs) such as rooftop solar and battery storage into electricity grids poses a regulatory challenge for utilities globally. While interconnection rules are designed to ensure the technical integrity and financial sustainability of power systems, stringent policies and punitive pricing signals have inadvertently led to the proliferation of unauthorised DERs in many parts of the world. Unauthorised DERs pose a range of technical, financial and safety risks to the power system, yet the drivers of non-compliance remains undocumented in the literature. This paper explores the drivers of non-compliance in South Africa, where by 2024 >50 % of behind-the-meter solar capacity is illegally connected to the grid. By quantifying the misalignment of private and public DER value streams, this study identifies key barriers to compliance, including high interconnection costs, lengthy approval processes, and misaligned pricing signals. A comparative case study between three South African municipalities illustrates how different utility governance approaches impact the business case for DER investment. A simple but important finding is that utility approaches can significantly impact a customer's decision to follow the formal interconnection process. A revenue impact modelling exercise revealed the detrimental impacts of unauthorised DERs on utility revenue. These results suggest that, in jurisdictions facing unauthorised DERs, early financial incentives are essential to minimise non-compliant installations and the associated utility revenue erosion. As DER penetration expands into new global regions, these findings are expected to assist utilities and regulators in developing appropriate regulatory frameworks that facilitate the sustainable integration of DERs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49209,"journal":{"name":"Energy for Sustainable Development","volume":"85 ","pages":"Article 101661"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143237090","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Basilio Z.S. Tamele , Yibeltal T. Wassie , Alberto J. Tsamba , Erik O. Ahlgren
{"title":"Electricity consumption and its determinants in rural Mozambique – At the edge of the electricity grid","authors":"Basilio Z.S. Tamele , Yibeltal T. Wassie , Alberto J. Tsamba , Erik O. Ahlgren","doi":"10.1016/j.esd.2025.101662","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.esd.2025.101662","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The lack of reliable data on electricity consumption is one of the main obstacles to selecting the right supply technologies and allocating resources to achieve universal electricity access in sub-Saharan Africa. Using data collected from on-site surveys, this study aims to estimate electricity consumption in rural Mozambique at the edge of the electricity grid and examine the factors that influence it. The consumption is estimated for households, community institutions, and productive users in four different localities. Three of the localities are off-grid and rely largely on Solar Home Systems, while one is a small town and has access to grid electricity. To analyze the determinants of electricity consumption, multiple linear regression models are used. The results show that households account for >62 % of the total electricity consumption. The average household consumption in the grid-electrified town (2.54 kWh/day) is significantly higher than in the off-grid localities (0.04 to 0.24 kWh/day). Furthermore, the load profiles of households in the grid-electrified town and off-grid localities differ significantly. However, productive users consume the most electricity per user in all localities. The regression analysis shows a positive and strong relationship between consumption and appliance ownership, with refrigerators and televisions having the most significant influence in the grid-powered locality, and cellphones and LED lamps having the biggest effect in the off-grid areas. The study demonstrates the substantial spatial and sectoral differences in electricity consumption in rural Mozambique. It also reveals how access to grid electricity, productive use, and appliance ownership shape electricity consumption in rural Mozambique. Understanding these dynamics is thus crucial for accurate demand forecasting and optimal rural electrification planning.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49209,"journal":{"name":"Energy for Sustainable Development","volume":"85 ","pages":"Article 101662"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143237089","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"What impedes solar energy deployment? New evidence from power developers in the Arab Gulf states","authors":"Li-Chen Sim , Karen E. Young","doi":"10.1016/j.esd.2024.101597","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.esd.2024.101597","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The hydrocarbon-rich Gulf states are located in the heart of the global sunbelt which endows them with some of the highest solar resources in the world. Peak load hours in these countries also align well with daily and seasonal solar radiation levels. Nevertheless, actual deployment of renewable power, including solar, is among the lowest in the world. This article analyzes why solar power has seen some success in a few states, while in others there has been little momentum. To address the question, the authors undertake a qualitative, case-based inquiry into solar power development through data collected from interviews with solar power developers based in the Gulf. Our findings are two-fold. First, the quality of a regulatory regime (planning and enforcement) plays a significant role in explaining variations in solar deployment across the Gulf. Second, the most impactful pathways through which regulatory regimes affect solar power deployment include governance, competition among differently-sized developers, procurement, labor, and evenness within the same national jurisdiction. In so doing, the article offers policy-relevant implications for scaling up solar power sector in the Gulf and contributes to the wider literature on business-state relations in the region.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49209,"journal":{"name":"Energy for Sustainable Development","volume":"84 ","pages":"Article 101597"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143174889","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Monica Lambon-Quayefio , Bruno Merven , Alison Hughes , Faaiqa Hartley , Robert Darko Osei
{"title":"Estimating the distributive impacts of climate mitigation policies in the power sector in Ghana","authors":"Monica Lambon-Quayefio , Bruno Merven , Alison Hughes , Faaiqa Hartley , Robert Darko Osei","doi":"10.1016/j.esd.2024.101589","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.esd.2024.101589","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":49209,"journal":{"name":"Energy for Sustainable Development","volume":"84 ","pages":"Article 101589"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143174871","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Analysis of real performance and seasonal prediction of a 23 MWp grid-connected photovoltaic plant in Senegal: Case of Diass","authors":"Fatim Amadou Ndiaye , Mohamed Cherif Aidara , Diatta Sene , Oumar Drame , Mamadou Lamine Ndiaye","doi":"10.1016/j.esd.2025.101660","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.esd.2025.101660","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Grid-connected solar photovoltaic power plants have been developed in Senegal, significantly contributing to the country's energy mix, both to improve energy coverage and combat global warming. However, the performance of these existing plants has not yet been subject to in-depth analysis aimed at optimizing PV production and promoting the deployment of new photovoltaic installations in the country. This study seeks to evaluate the performance of the 23 MWp Diass power plant over a one-year period, in accordance with the IEC 61724 standard. The performance parameters examined indicate annual average reference, PV array, and final yields of 5.83 h/d, 4.17 h/d, and 3.95 h/d, respectively. The performance ratio varies between 64.65 % and 75.82 %, while the capacity utilization factor ranges from 13.80 % to 20.49 %. The results demonstrate better performance during the dry season, along with accurate energy production predictions using the PVWatts and PVUSA models during the rainy season.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49209,"journal":{"name":"Energy for Sustainable Development","volume":"85 ","pages":"Article 101660"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143102047","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Who uses solar water heaters? Evidence from the Palestinian Territories","authors":"Vanessa Kajjouni, Walid Marrouch","doi":"10.1016/j.esd.2024.101645","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.esd.2024.101645","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In many developing countries, households' adoption of renewable energy systems constitutes an off-grid solution and an autonomous response to energy constraints. Within this context, it is important for policymakers to consider household-related characteristics when promoting the adoption of residential solar energy systems. In this paper, we focus on the water heating aspect of energy poverty and tackle the case of Palestinian households who are impacted by this issue. Specifically, using 2020 survey data from 3122 households and Probit regression analysis, we examine the determinants of domestic solar water heater (SWH) adoption. Our main findings on socioeconomic characteristics are that families with more females are more likely to adopt SWHs, whereas families with more children of all genders are less likely to do so. The installation of SWHs is also positively correlated with the households' main income and their heads' educational attainment and age. We also control for dwelling characteristics and find that households in urban areas and those living in a house, owning the dwelling, and having a bathroom are more likely to adopt SWHs. These findings help policymakers design and implement more tailored measures in regions characterized by both energy poverty and high potential for solar energy, such as the Palestinian Territories.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49209,"journal":{"name":"Energy for Sustainable Development","volume":"85 ","pages":"Article 101645"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143102046","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Luis Filipe Brasil da Cunha , Rayner Maurício e Silva Machado , Jose Ary da Silva Junior , Alessandra de Souza Farias , Márcio Santos Barata , Bruno Ramos Zemero
{"title":"Modeling the impact of urban climate transformations in low income housing located in critical climate: A case study","authors":"Luis Filipe Brasil da Cunha , Rayner Maurício e Silva Machado , Jose Ary da Silva Junior , Alessandra de Souza Farias , Márcio Santos Barata , Bruno Ramos Zemero","doi":"10.1016/j.esd.2025.101653","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.esd.2025.101653","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Global warming and urban densification impact the thermal performance of buildings, yet these effects are often overlooked in professional and academic settings. This study conducted a case study through simulation with modified climate files to quantify the extreme effects resulting from the combination of hot-humid climate, urban densification, and global warming on a model of social housing in Belém, Brazil. Current scenarios were established, and thermal performance simulations were conducted. This involved adapting weather files to two distinct urban patterns: high and low densification. These files were adjusted to capture variations in essential parameters, reflecting the unique climatic conditions of each urban environment. Subsequently, the thermal performance of social housing units was simulated using these files, enabling a comprehensive analysis of thermal dynamics. This facilitated identifying key parameters in urban climate zones, considering potential increases in urban densification and global warming. The results reveal a significant impact of the combined effect of urban densification and global warming on both outdoor and indoor social housing, reducing habitability and requiring air conditioning almost year-round in near and distant future climates. The conclusions aim to contribute to diagnosing and understanding the climate crisis and urban climate's role in the resilience of vulnerable populations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49209,"journal":{"name":"Energy for Sustainable Development","volume":"85 ","pages":"Article 101653"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143102049","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Confronting uncertainty: The future of hydropower in the himalayan region amidst climate ambiguity","authors":"Nirajan Devkota, Suraj Lamichhane, Pawan Kumar Bhattarai","doi":"10.1016/j.esd.2025.101657","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.esd.2025.101657","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Uncertainty profoundly influences hydropower projections under climate change, involving both aleatory and epistemic factors and necessitating varied methodological approaches. This study integrates top-down (General Circulation Models (GCM)) and bottom-up machine learning-based projections, incorporating land use changes using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool. GCMs predict substantial precipitation increases, up to 52.39 % under SSP5–8.5 scenarios, with temperature changes ranging from 0.77 °C to 6.21 °C. In contrast, bottom-up approaches forecast declining basin-wide precipitation from September to December, followed by increases. Spring-fed and snow-fed rivers generally show higher flows in GCM scenarios but lower flows in bottom-up scenarios. Snow-fed rivers exhibit notably greater discharge and energy variability compared to spring-fed rivers, with secondary energy experiencing more significant fluctuations than primary energy. This study underscores the need for diverse methodologies in hydropower planning and highlights the importance of integrating modeling approaches and enhancing collaboration among hydrologists, climate scientists, and policymakers. Future research should focus on combining multiple methodologies for more comprehensive climate impact assessments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49209,"journal":{"name":"Energy for Sustainable Development","volume":"85 ","pages":"Article 101657"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143102048","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Measuring implicit carbon prices of renewable energy incentives: Insights from China","authors":"Yifei Quan , Maosheng Duan , Chongjia Luo","doi":"10.1016/j.esd.2025.101656","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.esd.2025.101656","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Implicit carbon prices (ICP), akin to explicit carbon prices derived from carbon pricing instruments, reflect the climate mitigation efforts of specific jurisdictions through non-carbon pricing policies. In this paper, we propose a transparent and systematic methodology for measuring the implicit carbon price related to renewable energy incentives, which represents average abatement cost of CO<sub>2</sub> emissions resulting from renewable support policies. Applying this method, we evaluate China's ICPs of renewable policies from 2009 to 2021. We find that China's country-level ICP rose upward from 2.01 CNY in 2009 to 44.64 CNY in 2021, peaking at 47.70 CNY in 2019. This price level is on par with explicit carbon price in the early stage of China's national emissions trading system, highlighting the country's substantial efforts to address climate change by deploying renewables. Scrutiny of different provinces and renewable generation technologies uncovers great variations in ICPs, which implies significant heterogeneity in abatement costs and policy efficiency within the renewable energy sector. While our analysis focuses on China, the method is easily adaptable to other jurisdictions as a useful tool for assessing mitigation efforts and identifying effective emission reduction instruments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49209,"journal":{"name":"Energy for Sustainable Development","volume":"85 ","pages":"Article 101656"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143102052","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Walter Leal Filho , Bianca Gasparetto Rebelatto , Amanda Lange Salvia , Izabela Simon Rampasso , Andrea Gatto , Vincent Barrioz , Yusuf A. Aina , Julian David Hunt , Rosley Anholon , Priscilla Cristina Cabral Ribeiro , Luciana Londero Brandli
{"title":"Addressing energy poverty: Regional trends and examples of best practice","authors":"Walter Leal Filho , Bianca Gasparetto Rebelatto , Amanda Lange Salvia , Izabela Simon Rampasso , Andrea Gatto , Vincent Barrioz , Yusuf A. Aina , Julian David Hunt , Rosley Anholon , Priscilla Cristina Cabral Ribeiro , Luciana Londero Brandli","doi":"10.1016/j.esd.2024.101647","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.esd.2024.101647","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Based on the definition of the United Nations Development Programme, energy poverty refers to the lack of access to modern energy services, including electricity and clean cooking facilities, primarily affecting millions in low-income and developing countries. Access to energy is one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG7), advocating clean energy for all. This study seeks to bridge gaps in understanding the drivers and impacts of energy poverty while presenting strategies to address it. It employs a three-fold methodological framework. First, it conducts a comprehensive assessment of the factors contributing to energy poverty, supported by a review of relevant literature to highlight existing knowledge gaps. Second, it examines the socio-economic impacts of energy poverty across different regions globally, focusing on its prevalence and consequences disparities. Third, the paper analyzes international case studies showcasing pioneering strategies and innovative approaches - defined as novel, scalable, and context-sensitive solutions - to enhance energy access. The findings underscore the widespread and severe socio-economic consequences of energy poverty, particularly in Africa, the most affected region. Despite its significance, energy poverty remains inadequately addressed in policy-making processes. The results from this study may provide a new impulse towards their upscaling and replication of successful approaches documented in the case studies, helping developing countries to address their energy needs and generate income at the local level. By offering a critical review of socio-economic deficiencies and presenting innovative solutions, this paper advances the discourse on energy poverty and supports global efforts towards energy equity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49209,"journal":{"name":"Energy for Sustainable Development","volume":"85 ","pages":"Article 101647"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-01-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143102051","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}