Financing energy access through community participatory equity: building and modeling a multidimensional energy access framework for rural community-level PV micro-grids to inform market entry strategy
Author(s) | Attia, Benjamin M. | |
Date Accessioned | 2016-11-30T15:25:51Z | |
Date Available | 2016-11-30T15:25:51Z | |
Publication Date | 2016 | |
Abstract | This thesis seeks to further the academic definition and practitioner implementation of energy access solutions by developing and applying a theoretical multidimensional energy access framework that understands the drivers and barriers to successful rural energy implementation through the lens of four dimensions: techno-economic, socio-economic, agro-economic and institutional-economic. The rapid deployment and acceleration of rural energy access interventions is also catalytically dependent on financing, and understanding this multidimensionality may help institutional and private investors and policymakers close the $1 trillion financing gap for rural micro-grids. Because of their open-access nature, micro-grids can be considered as common property resources capable of community management without a tragedy of the commons under a theoretically Ostromian Community Participatory Equity (CPE) framework. Cost-driven by the remoteness of the project, these community-managed systems have significant socio-economic benefits and can see significant improvements in project economics and financing through cost decreases that are instead taken on by the community rather than the third-party developer or project company, reducing the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) by over 50%. This work concludes that the CPE framework, especially when paired with grant financing for capital costs and early-stage O&M&M fees, can greatly increase the attractiveness of these projects for investors and end users and enable an informed and targeted market entry strategy for the vast untapped off-grid markets. | en_US |
Advisor | Byrne, John M. | |
Degree | M.E.E.P. | |
Department | University of Delaware, Center for Energy and Environmental Policy | |
Unique Identifier | 964626634 | |
URL | http://udspace.udel.edu/handle/19716/19888 | |
Publisher | University of Delaware | en_US |
URI | http://search.proquest.com/docview/1818471936?accountid=10457 | |
dc.subject.lcsh | Rural development. | |
dc.subject.lcsh | Solar access rights. | |
dc.subject.lcsh | Photovoltaic power systems. | |
dc.subject.lcsh | Microgrids (Smart power grids) | |
dc.subject.lcsh | Remote area power supply systems. | |
dc.subject.lcsh | Rural public utilities. | |
Title | Financing energy access through community participatory equity: building and modeling a multidimensional energy access framework for rural community-level PV micro-grids to inform market entry strategy | en_US |
Type | Thesis | en_US |