Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/142703 
Year of Publication: 
2016
Series/Report no.: 
Ruhr Economic Papers No. 619
Publisher: 
Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (RWI), Essen
Abstract: 
Solar off -grid technologies have become a lower-cost alternative to grid-based electrification in rural Africa. As a contribution to the United Nations' electricity for all goals, policy currently promotes branded solar products based on the assumption that high-quality standards are necessary. We provide evidence suggesting that nonbranded technologies have already made widespread inroads to rural households. Quality is not necessarily worse, in particular if the considerably lower end-user prices are accounted for. A justification of branded solar promotion programs can thus not only be based on energy access arguments, but rather on environmental concerns related to electronic waste. Moreover, we show that if poorer strata are to be reached, end-user subsidies are required.
Subjects: 
rural electrification
energy access
energy poverty
technology adoption
JEL: 
O13
O33
Q41
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
ISBN: 
978-3-86788-721-2
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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