Introduction

1.3 billion people globally do not have access to electricity. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that 84% of these live in rural areas. More than 95% of those without energy access are in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.

Countries with the largest population without access to electricity, 2010

Source: IEA

Energy is a key driver of development and access to a reliable source of energy can transform impoverished areas. In developing countries, the electrification rate for rural areas is only 64%, compared to 92% in urban areas. In the rural areas of developing countries, biomass fuels provide the majority of energy. According to a recent report by Deloitte, in India, 85% of all rural energy is provided by biomass fuels (fuel-wood, crop residues, animal dung), which are highly inefficient and often have serious environmental impacts.
(See: Global Tracking Framework report – The World Bank)

An obvious solution is providing isolated and remote communities with renewable sources of clean energy, and electrifying rural areas with renewable energy at a large scale has now become a viable prospect. Supporting rural households and businesses with a supply of energy independent of national or regional grids is an exciting solution that in recent years has promised to foster sustainable economic and social development at minimal environmental cost.

Global carbon dioxide emissions continue to rise, and the threats posed by climate change are becoming increasingly tangible. Expanding the use of renewable energy worldwide has become more important than ever before, and is now possible as a result of new technology bringing down the cost of renewables. In addition, the increasing cost of using national grids, compounded by rises in the global wholesale price of energy, has helped stimulate the growth of renewable energy markets in developing countries. 

For the next few months, this blog will track developments in global efforts to bring renewable energy solutions to rural areas, and will consider how this relates to the wider context of environmental sustainability and climate change.