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The power sector in Uganda has increased steadily, focusing majorly on rural electrification to increase the proportion of the rural population accessing electricity using grid extension and isolated mini-grid approaches. Hydropower mini-grids implemented in rural communities have issues regarding system failures leading to shutdowns and load shedding. A study on an existing isolated hydropower mini-grid was made to find the possible causes. A review of published articles and reports, and an analysis of enrollment patterns, energy sales, and load demand was carried out. A field survey with a guided questionnaire to collect information about real energy demand data was carried out. The performance of the system was accomplished through simulation using HOMER pro × 64 software. The findings from the study show a reduction in customer enrollment, a reduction in energy sales, and a reasonable number of system shutdowns. Hybridization of the existing hydropower was modeled with different options. The hybrid system proposed indicates that, when implemented, it would reduce fuel consumption from 222 to 23.2 L/day and emissions from 82.5 to 8.3 kg/year on average and increases system reliability. Simulated values of NPC, LCOE, and operating costs are appreciable. Despite mini-grid shortfalls, there is notably improved livelihood due to improved social and economic services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The decrease in oil production, the rise in environmental pollution, and the impending need to power areas in Colombia that do not currently have access to electricity have given the nation the task of finding new, decentralized, sustainable energy generation methods. Due to its favorable geographic location, renewable energy sources are a very appealing and affordable option in Colombia. This document presents a systematic literature review (SLR) developed to assess the recent techno-economic models and financial strategies in rural electrification using renewable energy systems. As a result, 19 documents were obtained, where the most informed funding sources included governmental, private and mixed shares. According to the information, the financial models were limited to estimate economic variables as levelized cost of electricity and net present cost. Finally, an emphasis on the need of governmental support to promote this kind of projects were reported.

This paper takes a cursory look at the problem of inadequate power supply in the rural healthcare centres of a developing country, specifically Nigeria, and proffers strategies to address this issue through the design of hybrid renewable energy systems combined with the existing unreliable grid in order to meet the healthcare load demand, thus ensuring higher reliability of available energy sources. The simulations, analysis and results presented in this paper are based on meteorological data and the load profiles of six selected locations in Nigeria, using which hybrid grid-connected systems integrating diesel, solar and wind energy sources are designed with configurations to give optimum output. The optimised design configurations in the considered case study, Ejioku, Okuru-Ama, Damare-Polo, Agbalaenyi, Kadassaka and Doso, produce very low energy costs of of 0.0791 $/kWh, 0.115 $/kWh, 0.0874 $/kWh, 0.0754 $/kWh, 0.0667 $/kWh and 0.0588 $/kWh, respectively, leveraging solar and wind energy sources which make higher percentage contributions at all sites. The load-following-dispatch strategy is adopted at all sites, ensuring that at every point in time, there is sufficient power to meet the needs of the healthcare centres. Further works on this topic could consider other strategies to optimise general energy usage on the demand side.

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is home to 75% of the world’s unelectrified population, and approximately 500 million of these live in rural areas. Off-grid mini-grids are being deployed on a large scale to address the region’s electrification inequalities. This study aims to provide a comprehensive review of the research on the off-grid renewable mini-grids in SSA. The study covers the current status of the level of deployment of off-grid mini-grids. It also reviews multi-criteria decision-making models for optimizing engineering, economics, and management interests in mini-grid siting and design in SSA. The statuses of financing, policy, and tariffs for mini-grids in SSA are also studied. Finally, the current status of energy justice research in respect of mini-grids in SSA is reviewed. The study shows the important role of decentralized renewable technologies in the electrification of SSA’s rural population. Within a decade since 2010, the rural electrification rate of SSA has increased from 17% to 28%, and 11 million mini-grid connections are currently operational. Despite these gains, the literature points to several injustices related to the present model by which SSA’s renewable mini-grids are funded, deployed, and operated. Hence, several recommendations are provided for the effective application of the energy justice framework (EJF) for just and equitable mini-grids in SSA.

Electricity is crucial for each country's economic and social development. More than half of the population in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) lack access to energy, which has dire consequences for the local population's living conditions, as well as affecting the local economy and increasing poverty. Renewable energy-based mini-grid (REBM) systems are the promising solution to mitigate the issue of energy access in rural areas, however, the expansion of renewable energy (RE) systems and the rate of energy access are both advancing at a slow pace. This study used PESTLE analysis (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, and Environmental) in the context of Mozambique, a SSA country, to identify the most important categories and factors to support decision-making processes by breaking down existing barriers and hurdles in the energy sector enabling them to plan and implement measures, subdivided in primary, secondary and tertiary for the development of REBM in remote settlements. Even though PESTLE analysis is rather often worldwide applied to the energy sector, its application to the Sub-Saharan context is rare, while its application to the Mozambique energy sector is absent in scientific literature. Besides, within our study, energy experts from different professional backgrounds and nationalities have been interviewed using an online questionnaire: 62 energy experts (48 Africans, and 14 Non-African) from 14 different countries assessed the categories and factors. The experts questioned identified the political category as the most crucial for policy-makers to prioritize, with the top three global weighting factors being, Clear Government policies (plan, regulation, priority, strategy) 5.79%, National financial scheme for RES investments 4.93%, and cost of investment 4.86%. The findings can support policy-makers breakdown barriers in the energy sector, planning and implementing measures for the REBM development, and contribute to achieving the SDG7 target.

Assessing human presence in close proximity to river network is crucial for frequently flood-affected populous countries, like Bangladesh, to reliably estimate flood-exposure risk. Using multitemporal satellite nighttime light (NTL) as a proxy for human presence, we examined the spatial distribution and change in NTL luminosity (+11,225.69 km² areas) across Bangladesh during 2000–2018 at national and river network scales. Results showed a rising trend and emerging hotspots of nightlights and increased near-river population (+1.5 million) under flood-exposure risk. These patterns were coincident with the dwindling of forests (-91.89%), grasslands (-6.02%) and barren lands (-27.92%) and increased built-up (11.06%) areas. Positive correlations were found between annual NTL luminosity and Land Scan population (r = 0.48) and annual population (%) access to electricity (r = 0.82), revealing the effect of rural electrification. Our analytical approach and results provide a basis for timely monitoring of floodplain occupancy and flood-exposure risk at scale in the rapidly developing regions globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With rising electricity demand through digitization and innovation, the urgency of climate change mitigation, and the recent geopolitical crisis, stakeholders in developing countries face the complex task to build reliable, affordable, and low-emission energy systems. Information inaccessibility, data unavailability, and scarce local expertise are major challenges for planning and transitioning to decentralized solutions. Motivated by the calls for more solution-oriented research regarding sustainability, we design, develop, and evaluate the web-based decision support system NESSI4Dweb+ that is tailored to the needs and capabilities of various stakeholders in developing countries. NESSI4Dweb+ is open access and considers location-specific circumstances to facilitate multi-energy planning. Its applicability is demonstrated with a case study of a representative rural village in southern Madagascar and evaluated through seven interviews with experts and stakeholders. We show that NESSI4Dweb+ can support the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and enable the very prerequisite of digitization: reliable electrification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quality in healthcare service is essential in giving rural dwellers a good standard of living. It has been established that many rural locations in Sub-Saharan Africa away from the grid connection have difficulty accessing electricity. The inaccessibility of reliable energy and essential medical equipment was the leading barrier to improved healthcare delivery in these rural locations. The deficiency of basic medical equipment to power essential services due to limited or unreliable electricity access has reduced rural healthcare workers' care capabilities, resulting in higher mortality rates. This paper, therefore, reviews the existing energy solutions for rural healthcare facilities, thereby analysing different approaches and the geographical energy mix and ascertaining the effectiveness of various techniques and energy mix as solutions to effective healthcare delivery in healthcare centres. Hybrid Renewable Energy Sources (HRES) microsystems, like microgrids incorporated with solar panels and battery, is identified to ensure higher and more reliable energy access in rural healthcare centres. At the same time, the adoption of Demand Side Management (DSM) in the HRES deployment in countryside healthcare facilities is reported to decrease the initial cost of installation and improve efficiency. Lastly, in improving energy access, rural electrification planning is achieved through modelling tools related to energy access modelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, electricity generation in off-grid communities is done through polluting and often inefficient diesel generators. When renewable energies are implemented, they are often coupled with chemical batteries, whose specificities do not fit well with remote and harsh environments. As a more sustainable alternative, this paper looks at micro pumped hydro energy storage coupled with solar photovoltaic production. Rural electrification in Colombia is selected as the best potential context for such a solution. Several electrical machines are considered for energy conversion (associated with one pump also utilized as turbine for robustness and cost reasons) and rated over-dedicated criteria: reactive power, efficiency, price, flexibility of power intake, complexity, and robustness. This sketching phase highlights two machines, induction and permanent magnet synchronous machines, both coupled with a variable frequency drive. Two microgrid configurations are also selected that best suit this storage technology to the needs of Colombian non-interconnected zones. A pursuit of low-tech, robust solutions is carried in this paper for reasons of costs, maintenance, and local appropriation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating a group of generation units and loads into a microgrid improves power supply sustainability, decreases greenhouse gas emissions, and lowers generating costs. However, this integration necessitates the development of an improved energy management system. The microgrid distributes electricity among energy resources to optimize either the generating cost or the quantity of greenhouse gas emissions, or both at the same time. The low-cost energy supply requires a precise cost model for each energy component. This article aims to develop the generation cost model that incorporates renewable energy to lower the total operating cost and curb greenhouse gas emissions. The suggested optimization problem deals with the low-cost energy solution for the rural area of India. The proposed system used particle swarm optimization, a global optimization strategy, in the study. Minimum cost and emission scenarios are objective issues while operating with tolerable emissions, and costs are multi-objective of the present study. The outcomes of the scenarios are used to provide viable optimized solutions to multi-objective problems using the optimization technique. Finally, a battery bank's potential to compensate for generation shortages while minimizing emissions is being studied. The study is performed on a microgrid comprising photovoltaic PV, diesel generator, battery, wind turbine, and an Indian rural scenario load profile. The finding suggested that the optimal configuration has a total net cost of operation is $59,195.61. The per-unit cost of energy is 0.20 $/kWh with a saving of CO 2 emission is 5994 kg/year. This modular feasibility analysis demonstrates that utilizing a hybrid energy system to power the planning is cost-effective. This research is anticipated to aid rural communities and other stakeholders in making well-informed decisions throughout the planning stages of similar initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global population continually increases, and providing power and ensuring sustainable development is becoming increasingly challenging. As a result of increased industrialization and mobility, population growth produces changes in land usage and greenhouse gas emissions. Air quality is influenced by the amount of energy used. The release of carbon dioxide and other pollutants into the atmosphere harms the ecosystem. Although renewable energy sources can help reduce carbon emissions, their unreliability means that energy output is unpredictable, necessitating the development of battery storage to bridge the demand–supply gap. Much attention has been paid to combining renewable energy sources with batteries into rural electrification. The designing and operation of a rural standalone microgrid with electrical loads modeled for the electrification energy deficient village of Uttarakhand (India). The proposed work optimized the component size, cost of energy, net present cost, and pollutant emission reduction in the environment. The optimization is carried out using the gray wolf optimization algorithm. Four different microgrid systems are investigated for the feasibility evaluation of cost-effective rural power. A comparative evaluation of models is provided based on environmental and economic factors. The optimum design has an energy cost of 0.313 $/kWh and a net present cost of $ 65,241.32. The second arrangement, which has the most significant level of renewable energy penetration (90%), has provided a reliable power supply to the region. On the other hand, the proposed design satisfied all constraints while retaining a competitive energy cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy accessibility, reliability and availability are key components of improved quality of life and human development in all spheres. As the United Nations' SDG 7 calls for access to electricity for all by 2030, Africa still has a wide gap to fill as the statistics show that 85% of the population that will not have access to electricity is in Africa. As the world tries to wean itself off non-renewable energy and transition to green through use of renewable energy sources, hydropower energy remains at the heart of Africa for this venture. With majority of the rural population in Africa lacking electricity, there is need for a low-tech system that utilizes river flow to generate just enough energy for normal operation in these regions. Micro-hydrokinetic river turbine technology (µ-HRT), which offers less intermittency, can potentially contribute to sustainably electrifying Africa rural areas. The technology has been adopted by few countries worldwide, with limited comprehensive study in Africa even though the technology seems viable for use in African rivers. This paper reviewed the status of the µ-HRT applications in Africa and some of the barriers to its development. The study found out that the technology has not been vastly developed in Africa. Despite numerous barriers, the technology is simply a low-tech technology that requires the use of local resources and capacity building for its sustainability in terms of construction, operation and maintenance requirements. It is therefore recommended that R&D and field trials be conducted for its possible adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In developing countries, many areas are deprived of electrical energy. Access to cleaner, more affordable energy is critical for improving the poor's living conditions in developing countries. With the advent of smart grid technology, the integration and coordination of small grids, known as nanogrids, has become very easy. The purpose of this research is to propose a nanogrid model that will serve the purpose of providing the facility of electrical power to the poor rural community in Pakistan using hybrid renewable energy sources. This paper targets the electrification of a poor rural community of Akora Khatak, a small district located in Pakistan. The mathematical modeling of solar and wind energy, neural network-based forecasting of solar irradiance and wind velocity, and the social analysis to calculate the payback period for the community have been discussed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limiting global warming to 1.5–2.0°C in line with our climate commitments will require decarbonization of residential buildings. The traditional approach starts with major energy efficiency upgrades to the building envelope followed by switching to low‐carbon fuel sources for space and water heating. Building envelope retrofits have been a policy goal for over two decades in Canada and elsewhere, yet historical rates and associated emission reductions fall far short of what is required if we are to meet our climate targets. Alternatively, we propose direct fuel switching to electric heat pumps for space and water heating in regions with low‐carbon electricity. Using a database of 44,463 home energy profiles in Waterloo Region, Canada, we modeled the energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emission impacts of building envelope retrofits and direct electrification. While all retrofit plans achieved significant energy efficiency gains (17‐40%), so did direct electrification (70%) and building envelope retrofits plus electrification combined (70‐80%). Only plans that included electric heat pumps achieved greenhouse gas emission reductions of 90% or more. Compared to the conventional approach, direct electrification with heat pumps may be a simpler, more effective, and more realistic approach for policies aiming to decarbonize the residential sector. Key Messages: Direct electrification of residential space and water heaters with heat pumps is a simple and effective approach to decarbonization.Building envelope retrofits should be required as the first step toward electrification only in the most energy‐inefficient homes.Electricity infrastructure must be modernized to accommodate direct electrification of residential buildings and other sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greenhouse gas emissions and PM2.5 pollution from vehicular exhausts and the consequent negative externalities underline the urgency of investigating low-carbon pathways for the freight sector. This paper undertakes a comprehensive analysis to determine the implications of a modal shift in the freight sector for the environment, energy systems and the economy. Stakeholder consultations are used to develop the qualitative narratives that are further used to set the parameters in energy-economy optimization models for deriving quantitative pathways. Our analysis includes four scenarios: Current Policy (CPS), Road Focused (FROAD), Rail Technology (TRAIL) and Harmonized Multimodal (HMML). The HMML scenario follows a balanced approach harmonizing the twin goals of reducing imported fuels and carbon emissions that can simultaneously assist in achieving development and decarbonization targets. Our results show that the HMML scenario based on the multimodal approach of creating a level playing field for all modes can reduce fossil fuel imports by 87.6% and CO 2 emissions by 96%, relative to CPS in 2050. The HMML scenario also envisages significant macroeconomic benefits – the cost of logistics as a percentage of GDP falls to 11%, and there are cumulative foreign exchange savings of 3.8 trillion USD from 2016 to 2050. However, electrification, the leading technology for the respective decarbonizing modes, will need policies that enhance research and innovation on batteries and infrastructure investments for charging along national and state highways. The main policy insight from our analysis is that multimodal logistics policy needs to be designed in alignment with clean energy-based electrification policy and national rail plans so that uniform rules from the origin govern all modes to the destination of goods transport. • Modelling energy economy to analyse implications of modal shift. • Combining stakeholder consultations with quantitative evaluations. • Multimodal approach achieves development and mitigation goals at the same time. • Over 80% of savings on imports of fossil fuels are possible by 2050 relative to the current policy scenario. • Cumulative foreign exchange savings of 3.8 trillion USD can be achieved from 2016 to 2050. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mini-grids are discussed as a cost-effective and sustainable solution to provide electricity to populations lacking access, of which the majority reside in sub-Saharan Africa. Projects struggle to be fiscally solvent, however, in part because electricity demand from rural households is low relative to installed mini-grid generation and distribution capacity, making it difficult to recoup investment costs. This paper explores how productive uses of electricity may increase electricity demand and evaluates impacts of increased electrical load to the technical and economic metrics of mini-grid projects. A full cashflow analysis is completed to evaluate business model efficacy for mini-grid developers and investors for a case study of a township in Sierra Leone. Productive uses of electricity are shown to have minimal improvement to the financial viability of residential mini-grid projects, and subsidies are required to reach financial metrics suitable to attract private investment. Of the productive uses investigated, year-round loads had the most positive impact to payback periods. Seasonal loads offer only small improvements to payback period and internal rate of return because they require extra generation assets to meet peak demand in the high season that are left idle or heavily under-loaded during the low season. Overall, the study finds the most effective way to improve financial outcomes through productive uses is to increase the mini-grid load factor with productive uses of electricity that operate year-round. • PUE interventions that increase mini-grid load factor improve project financials. • Higher load factors better utilized hybrid systems with generator, solar, storage. • PUE type and load profile significantly affects mini-grid design and financials. • Constant-load PUE types improved financials over seasonal loads. • Seasonal PUEs increase capital costs that go largely unused during the off-season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the dynamics of rural electrification in India and explores the transition to a complementary convergence of decentralised and centralised electricity systems for sustainable rural electricity services. A novel socio-technical framework of analysis for assessment of cases of rural electricity systems is developed and applied in Indian villages to explore the interplays of different elements of rural electricity systems, enabling and hindering factors, and actors and institutions that affect the governance and sustenance of rural electrification. A mixed research method, along with document analysis, was applied to study the socio-technical perspectives, using 21 indicators representing nine different interplays of elements of rural electricity systems. The analysis reveals there is a significant effect of governance on technology performance, which in turn affects customer practices. There is also a significant correlation between customer practices and governance. Policy enablers along with strong institutions and actors - both at the subnational and local level - are key drivers to effective governance. Furthermore, irrespective of centralised or decentralised technology, adequacy and reliability of electricity supply and effective customer service delivery at the local level are important i.e., both supply reliability and quality, and customer service quality are equally important. The findings have clear policy implications for the governance of the electricity sector in India. • A novel sociotechnical framework for assessing village electrification is developed. • Novel framework tests interplays of various elements of the electricity system. • There is a significant correlation between governance & performance of technology. • There is also a significant effect of technology performance on customer practices. • Policy enablers, strong institutions & actors are drivers to effective governance. • A mix of decentralised & centralised electric system will have a better outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy access is one of the challenges confronting Nigeria and many Sub-Saharan African countries. The energy poverty experienced in the country is even more pervasive in the rural communities where only about 36% of the population had access to electricity. With the current improvement in technological advancement in GIS and remote sensing, identifying small hydropower sites have become relatively easier, faster, and cost effective. Small hydropower is a clean renewable and reliable energy alternative that meets the economic and environmental energy policy objectives. This study therefore seeks to explore the viability of the SHP potentials for rural electrification. The quantitative research approach was employed. The study analysed the small hydropower potentials in Ogun watershed using geospatial techniques (Hydrology, Neighbourhood analysis, Watershed analysis) and descriptive statistics to describe the population and energy dynamics of the study area. The study identified a total of 137 potential hydropower sites with a minimum energy potential of 502 kw and a maximum of 5.80 mw. Ogun watershed that has 202200 kW of potential energy is expected to support the electricity need of 59,471 rural households across ten local government areas in Ogun watershed. The study concludes that with the abundant water resources available in the country, small hydropower plants are a viable option for reducing the energy deficit of the country and can also help in the attainment of sustainable development goal 7 (universal energy access for all). The study further posited that the development of small hydropower in Ogun Watershed reduces the level of energy poverty experienced in the rural communities and stimulates the growth and development of the communities across social, environmental, and economic dimension. This study was able to estimate the viability of the energy potential identified along Ogun Watershed for rural electrification of communities within 2 km radius of the potential site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural and remote area electrification is of grave concern around the globe. Therefore, well-planned and cost-effective microgrids integrating renewable energy sources are emerging as effective solutions. However, the microgrid's stable operation and its future deployment is affected by the perturbations caused due to uncertainity in renewable sources, dependency on the battery state of charge, and load variation. So, considering the possible concerns affecting the planning and development of a microgrid for any given region, this paper proposes a comprehensive performance assessment of the hybrid residential microgrid based on a load model of Kibber village in Himachal Pradesh, India. The proposed approach is divided into three parts for the best planning of microgrids. Firstly, the MATLAB–Simulink software technically analyzes the system performance under perturbations considering the available renewable sources. Secondly, an economic analysis using HOMER Pro software is done to examine the cost-effectiveness of the proposed microgrid model through the simulation of electrical loads for Kibber village, considering the available renewable sources. Lastly, a real-time analysis of the proposed prototype of programmable logic controller-based hardware test bench has been developed, aiming for future regional microgrid deployment. System voltage, frequency, power shared, percentage of load met, energy cost, available renewable energy resource, etc. have been considered for validating the proposed controller. The proposed comprehensive assessment of the microgrid model is reproducible with necessary modifications for any geographical location. It will be helpful for its future deployment aiming at rural and remote electrification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adopting electric end-use technologies instead of fossil-fueled alternatives, known as electrification, is an important economy-wide decarbonization strategy that also reduces criteria pollutant emissions and improves air quality. In this study, we evaluate CO2 and air quality co-benefits of electrification scenarios by linking a detailed energy systems model and a full-form photochemical air quality model in the United States. We find that electrification can substantially lower CO2 and improve air quality and that decarbonization policy can amplify these trends, which yield immediate and localized benefits. In particular, transport electrification can improve ozone and fine particulate matter (PM2.5), though the magnitude of changes varies regionally. However, growing activity from non-energy-related PM2.5 sources—such as fugitive dust and agricultural emissions—can offset electrification benefits, suggesting that additional measures beyond CO2 policy and electrification are needed to meet air quality goals. We illustrate how commonly used marginal emissions approaches systematically underestimate reductions from electrification. Electrification is a decarbonization strategy that has the potential to reduce pollutant emissions and improve air quality. Here the authors evaluate CO2 and air quality co-benefits of electrification scenarios in the United States and find that electrification can substantially lower CO2 and improve ozone and fine particulate matter regionally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-cost gas and particulate matter sensor packages offer a compact, lightweight, and easily transportable solution to address global gaps in air quality (AQ) observations. However, regions that would benefit most from widespread deployment of low-cost AQ monitors often lack the reference-grade equipment required to reliably calibrate and validate them. In this study, we explore approaches to calibrating and validating three integrated sensor packages before a 1-year deployment to rural Malawi using colocation data collected at a regulatory site in North Carolina, USA. We compare the performance of five computational modeling approaches to calibrate the electrochemical gas sensors: k -nearest neighbors (k NN) hybrid, random forest (RF) hybrid, high-dimensional model representation (HDMR), multilinear regression (MLR), and quadratic regression (QR). For the CO, O x , NO, and NO 2 sensors, we found that k NN hybrid models returned the highest coefficients of determination and lowest error metrics when validated. Hybrid models were also the most transferable approach when applied to deployment data collected in Malawi. We compared k NN hybrid calibrated CO observations from two regions in Malawi to remote sensing data and found qualitative agreement in spatial and annual trends. However, ARISense monthly mean surface observations were 2 to 4 times higher than the remote sensing data, partly due to proximity to residential biomass combustion activity not resolved by satellite imaging. We also compared the performance of the integrated Alphasense OPC-N2 optical particle counter to a filter-corrected nephelometer using colocation data collected at one of our deployment sites in Malawi. We found the performance of the OPC-N2 varied widely with environmental conditions, with the worst performance associated with high relative humidity (RH >70 %) conditions and influence from emissions from nearby residential biomass combustion. We did not find obvious evidence of systematic sensor performance decay after the 1-year deployment to Malawi. Data recovery (30 %–80 %) varied by sensor and season and was limited by insufficient power and access to resources at the remote deployment sites. Future low-cost sensor deployments to rural, low-income settings would benefit from adaptable power systems, standardized sensor calibration methodologies, and increased regional regulatory-grade monitoring infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the rotary triboelectrification separation technology is applied to the separation of macerals for low rank coal, which has not been studied by previous researchers. The effects of air humidity and temperature on permittivity and specific-charge were tested to ensure that vitrinite and inertinite were effectively separated under obvious electrical differences. The best separation index of macerals was determined by single factor test, including airflow rate, feed rate, friction wheel speed, and plate voltage. The test results of specific-charge and permittivity showed that the difference is most reasonable when the air humidity is 20% and the temperature is 40°C. Single factor test showed that the optimal conditions are the feed rate of 1.5 g/s, the friction wheel speed of 3000 r/min, the plate voltage of 20 kV and the air flow rate of 6 m/s. Finally, this study obtained the best maceral separation indexes are vitrinite content of 72.03 vol%, vitrinite recovery of 67.86% and benefication ratio of 1.33. Comparison with other maceral separation technologies, the rotary triboelectrification technology is a clean dry and economical process technology, it has inherent advantages in the separation of macerals for low rank coal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The focus of the paper is on the renewable energy-based rural electrification system. Two concepts have been used in finding solutions to the issues related to this micro-grid system. The first is the best fitted model of hybrid configuration system, which utilizes village-owned resources, such as abundant biomass and solar irradiation. The second is that observed improved performance in terms of system sizing, techno-economic performance, and environmental stability of the hybrid model over different power storage backup media. The practical aspects and suggestion over the hybrid village electrification system have been presented through a case study of Korkadu village, Puducherry state, India. A comparative analysis of the hybrid model has been made with different power storage backup systems, namely the solid-state battery (lead acid-ASM battery, Li-ion-ASM battery) and flow battery (Redflow ZBM2 battery) arrangement. The result revealed hybrid rural electrification system with LI battery as the most favourable choice of the electrification system to the village, considering that its economic factor includes the total net present cost, cost of energy are found to be lowest. The technical parameters of power production capacity surface and battery state of charge were observed to be optimum with reduction in the environmental pollution parameter (GHS emission) value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biofuels have been the predominant option for climate change mitigation in road transport for decades, but the recent expansion of electric vehicles may bring into question their key role. In this work we model the energy use and life‐cycle emissions of road transport activities until 2050 in Norway, a country with a rapid growth in vehicle fleet electrification, to investigate the role that biofuels can play in climate change mitigation, and assess the implications for air pollution and human health. The mitigation benefits from biofuels peak around 2030 at 3.1 ± 0.45 MtCO2eq. year−1, approximately 30% of today's road transport emissions. The largest specific emission savings are achieved from biofuels in trucks and vans, for which the penetration of electric vehicles is slower. These results are consistent under different time horizons and climate metrics. The average impacts on human health are also decreased, but the uncertainty ranges for some biofuels options overlap with those of fossil fuels. Complementary and integrated strategies combining high electrification rates of the vehicle fleet with targeted applications of biofuels can increase the mitigation of road transport emissions. © 2022 The Authors. Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining published by Society of Industrial Chemistry and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study has been conducted to identify vulnerabilities and effects of climate change on women in 12 unions in Shyamnagar upazila in the Satkhira district in the Southwestern Coastal Region of Bangladesh (SWCRB). Climate vulnerability and gender inequality may increase due to climate change. Women may, thus, face specific conditions of vulnerability in society and daily livelihood. This paper focuses on investigating factors that influence women's vulnerability from climate change, their adaptations, and the importance of women empowerment to reduce their inequality in SWCRB. This study also emphasizes gender inequality caused by climate change, and looks at accommodations for women to reduce hostile influences of climate change. From the 9 unions in SWCRB, a total of 320 household respondents were randomly selected to complete a questionnaire. The results of the statistical analysis showed that most of the survey's perimeter has significant. Interviews, case studies, focus group discussions, workshops, and key informant interviews were also conducted from 12 unions, and it was found that climate change impacts men and women differently, with women being more vulnerable than men. Through case study this paper investigated the main factors influencing the vulnerability of women. In terms of empowerment women may also be well positioned to lead adaptation efforts alongside men, as this analysis represent that gender inequalities are leading by social norms. Women being more vulnerable both in short-term i.e., major natural disasters, cyclones, flood, and long-term i.e., sea level rise, salinity intrusion in water and soil, land erosion, droughts, climatic events, as they enhance gender inequalities. Further, gender inequality is seen in illiteracy, food shortages and poor health conditions, traditional norms, religious taboos, and patriarchy. Moreover, gender-based economic opportunities, women's mobility, and income are changing, while household authority relations and gender-based socio-economic, cultural, and institutional constraints remain. This study examines the increased vulnerability of women in SWCRB to climate change, which can be mitigated through women empowerment; female involvement with environmentally friendly stoves, rural electrification and renewable energy development, microfinancing, and nakshikantha. (Nakshikantha is a special type of sewing art that is made by creating designs with different types of colored threads on plain stitches). Lastly, women may also lead adaptation efforts alongside men, make decisions, and promote their participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green Panchayat means powering the rural Indian households by harnessing the renewable sources of energy. India has set target of achieving Net-Zero emission by 2070 and the set target cannot be achieved without the inclusion of the rural households as more than half of our country population lives in rural areas. Rural electrification is considered the backbone of the rural economy but it has come up with many challenges such as availability of 24x7 power supply, power wastages due to subsidized electricity and losses to State Discoms. The paper illustrates the case study of energy consumption pattern of villages Amro, Kochwa and Budgada and it proposes a solution to provide reliable power using PV-micro-grid and solar roof top installation on public buildings.Further, detail sizing (battery, inverter, panels) of the proposed PV system to meet the energy demand (1196.91 kWh/day) of the considered villages is also determined. The economic analysis is also shown in terms of payback period to reflect the project feasibility. The paper also illustrates the energy conservation measures to be taken up in the rural households to achieve the energy savings by use of energy-efficient appliances. In a nutshell, this paper will be helpful to the power system planners and decision makers for possible implementation of Rural Electrification project which has a vital role in achieving Net-Zero emissions and sustainable development [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid population growth coupled with urbanization and industrialization are some of the critical challenges of Indian energy sector. Simultaneously India's fossil fuel dominated power sector is a big source of carbon emission. Increasing renewable power is a mission of India. Government has also a mission for maximum rural electrification. India has widely varying geographical topography including high mountains and a long coastal line etc. Extending the Indian national grid to remote poor villages may not be techno-economically feasible. Instead introducing decentralized hybrid renewable power to remote poor villages of India may help inclusive growth. This study explores the feasibility of such options with a few case studies. Including some other energy utilities in addition to power may be an even better support to poor villagers. A few case studies on such efficient polygeneration are also included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind energy harvesting from the ambient environment by triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is highly important for powering wireless sensing systems. However, the output of TENG is greatly affected by ambient humidity, which seriously limits the measurement accuracy and stability of sensors. Herein, a flutter‐driven TENG composed of an Al foil interlayer sealed by FEP membranes (FEP/Al/FEP) is proposed to isolate Al foil from the external environment. A self‐charge excitation circuit is used to inject charges into the Al foil interlayer to achieve high charge density on it, greatly reducing the dependence on triboelectrification. In addition, an elastic steel sheet connected to a fluttering membrane at the fixed end is designed to get high stability of vibration. Consequently, the interference of humidity and other external environmental factors of this new type of elastic‐assisted TENG (EA‐TENG) with self‐charge excitation is greatly reduced and the output performance is greatly enhanced compared with traditional flutter‐driven TENGs. To demonstrate a practical application, a wind speed monitoring and alarming system are designed, which realizes real‐time wind speed detection and wind speed threshold alarm. The moisture‐resistant and stable wireless wind speed sensing system in this study has great applications in building large‐scale sensor networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is commonly recommended to incorporate diesel generators into distributed hybrid renewable energy systems (HRESs) to lower the system's total cost and make the generated electricity affordable. Due to the environmental and economic issues associated with fossil fuel use, biomass power technologies (BPT) appear to be an attractive alternative to diesel generators. The HOMER software was used to model, simulate, and optimise two photovoltaic/wind/battery systems integrated with different BPT (anaerobic digestion or gasification) to satisfy the electrical needs of Babadam, a remote community in northern Cameroon. The results indicated that the anaerobic digester integrated system's overall optimal architecture included a 98.1 kW photovoltaic array, a 30 kW biogas generator, and 200 batteries, with a cost of energy (COE) of $0.347/kWh. On the other hand, the gasifier integrated option is made up of an 81.8 kW photovoltaic array, a 15 kW syngas generator, and 200 batteries and has a COE of $0.319/kW. Additionally, compared to the PV/Wind/Battery system, integrating the biogas (resp. syngas) generator showed a potential COE decrease of 29% (resp. 40%). The sensitivity analysis highlighted the validity of this COE reduction potential everywhere in sub‐Saharan Africa, leading to the conclusion that integrating BPT into HRESs can effectively contribute to Sustainable Development Goal 7. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microgrids using renewable energy sources play an important role in providing universal electricity access in rural areas in the Global South. Current methods of system dimensioning rely on stochastic load profile modeling, which has limitations in microgrids with industrial consumers due to high demand side uncertainties. In this paper, we propose an alternative approach considering demand side management during system design which we implemented using a genetic scheduling algorithm. The developed method is applied to a test case system on Idjwi Island, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which is to be powered by a micro hydropower plant (MHP) in combination with a photovoltaic (PV) system and a battery energy storage system (BESS). The results show that the increased flexibility of industrial consumers can significantly reduce the cost of electricity. Most importantly, the presented method quantifies the trade-off between electricity cost and consumer flexibility. This gives local stakeholders the ability to make an informed compromise and design an off-grid system that covers their electricity needs in the most cost-efficient way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper focuses on developing an energy-modeling tool called ENECO2Calc, which allows the determination of current ecologic and economic footprints based on calculating the final energy demand within several sectors for municipalities. Furthermore, different energy transition paths until 2050 can be investigated and compared to the business-as-usual reference scenario. ENECO2Calc is the first municipality-based energy-modeling tool that allows the development of meaningful scenarios until 2050 by considering climate policy goals and RES potentials, and it involves the mobility emission forecast tool "PROVEM". ENECO2Calc is exclusively based on consistent statistical datasets. Additionally, the energy-modeling process was demonstrated as exemplary for the Austrian municipality St. Margareten im Rosental. For the selected municipality, three different scenarios were investigated. It could be concluded that a mix of decentral RES technologies and central cogeneration units in the heat sector, a mix of solar PV and cogeneration units in the electricity sector, and the use of synthetic biofuels coupled with a higher share of electrification in the fuel sector seemed to be most promising in the considered region. ENECO2Calc is a helpful energy-modeling tool toward climate neutrality to support municipalities in developing appropriate economic and ecological footprint strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article deals with the politics of Peruvian rural electrification during the Cold War years. In 1964, the inhabitants of the Mantaro Valley established the Cooperativa Eléctrica Comunal del Centro Ltda. 127, with the help of the central government and American aid agencies in the context of the Alliance for Progress. At first, this rural electric cooperative was seen as a legitimate way to channel traditional communal practices through an institution that was seen as modern, capitalist, and Western. However, in the fluid context of Peru's Cold War, electric cooperative development quickly became a heated political battleground. After a "revolutionary" military regime took power in 1968, the armed forces eventually defined the cooperative as an obsolete institution and quickly adopted their own cooperative model, free from any capitalist "vices," as they sought to implement their own "revolution from above." While the Cooperativa Eléctrica Comunal del Centro represented a successful combination of local discourse, foreign aid, and modern technology, its history also shines a light on the volatile politics of infrastructural development: as its political and economic meaning changed wildly as different political regimes oversaw its expansion and eventual downfall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aimed to analyze the relationships between the variables price, consumption and supply of electricity in rural Brazil and the different public pricing policies applied to the sector. To this end, an autoregressive time series model (VAR) and Granger causality are used, with data from the rural electricity sector, from 1996 to 2020, distributed quarterly. Among the contributions, it is observed that the policy of universalization of access to electrification can be considered a success regarding the number of consumer units reached, however, there is a need for a review regarding the pricing policies applied, since there is a bidirectional relationship, in which Production causes Consumption and Consumption causes Production, but Price does not cause Production, but causes Consumption. This is in line with the results of the VAR model which show that an increase in the price of energy in the Rural Zone would reduce its consumption, negatively impacting productivity, since energy is an important input for production and income in the agricultural sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Unpacks the co-constitutive links between energy justice and socio-spatial contexts. • Focuses on the Indonesian government's vision of universal rural electrification. • Energy justice vision as a state spatial project in relation to territory. • Multiple legal interventions characterise the state-led quest for energy justice. • Reveals the contradictions in reifying the state as a main enabler of energy access. This article seeks to examine the material implications of the emergence of an energy justice (energi berkeadilan) vision in Indonesia, paying particular attention to the state's spatial practice to achieve such a vision in the form of rural electrification programs including the deployment of off-grid decentralised renewables. Informed by semi-structured interviews, participant observation and secondary data analysis, we contribute to the growing conversations on geographical political economy of energy transitions by closely attending to the multiple space-making processes characterising the Indonesian government's pursuit of their energy justice vision. Inspired by Henri Lefebvre's ideas on state space and territory, we begin by unravelling the historical connection between the rise of energy justice vision and the Indonesian state attempts to maintain and expand its territorial reach through rural electrification, as evidenced throughout the country's contemporary political economies and its earlier history of postcolonial struggles. We simultaneously unpack various legal mechanisms and instruments underpinning the government's efforts to deliver energy justice promises by way of universal electricity access, demonstrating the centrality of such strategies in the (re)production of state territories. Through inquiring how energy justice is mobilised by (and for) the Indonesian state, our study illustrates that such everyday state-making processes entail a calculative technique as another form of territorial intervention that obscures the reality of socio-spatially uneven and fragmented electricity access in rural Indonesia. Such findings, we suggest, reveal the contradictions in the state's repositioning as a main enabler of energy access provision and, more broadly, a socially just energy transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mini-grids are expected to be the least cost option to electrify more than half a billion people living predominantly in isolated communities in sub-Saharan Africa. Providing a high reliability of power supply to satisfy paying customers is vital for the challenging business case of mini-grid owners. Therefore, renewable-based mini-grids of the third generation commonly include either diesel generators or battery storage for backup power supply. Power-to-hydrogen-to-power (P2H2P) is a promising alternative to overcome technical, financial, and social shortcomings of diesel generators and batteries. Previous research highlights the challenging economic competitiveness of P2H2P in specific case studies only. Here, we conduct a model-based techno-economic analysis on an archetypal representative mini-grid to compare the economic performance of P2H2P against the diesel generator and battery storage. We identify key parameters decisive for the competitiveness of P2H2P via sensitivity analysis. Under today's conditions, P2H2P is financially viable in 100 % decarbonized mini-grid systems. Ongoing trends of increased fuel price and P2H2P technology improvements must continue to achieve economic advantages of P2H2P over the diesel generator. However, P2H2P is competitive in locations in which the diesel price is higher than 2.6 USD/l or when P2H2P investment costs drop by >50 %, which is expected beyond 2040. Sensitivity analysis shows that increasing P2H2P system efficiency can substantially benefit the economic performance. Seasonal variations on the African continent are insufficient to create exploitable advantages of P2H2P against the short-term storage of batteries. The results suggest especially larger future PV mini-grids to combine battery storage and P2H2P rather than including common diesel generators or only including batteries when trends towards cheaper and more efficient technologies continue and diesel prices increase. Future work should investigate economic effects of the unique multi-usability of hydrogen on the mini-grid system, such as the usage as clean cooking fuel. • Optimization of a representative mini-grid system including PV, power-to-hydrogen-to-power, battery, and diesel generator. • Techno-economic assessment of the power-to-hydrogen-to-power system, including sensitivity analysis. • A combination of battery and power-to-hydrogen-to-power is the least cost option for 100% decarbonized energy supply. • Technology improvements suggest future mini-grids to include PV, battery, and power-to-hydrogen-to-power backup systems. • Reallocation of fossil fuel subsidies to P2H2P systems may harmonize with sustainable policies and reduce investment barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, the current and future projected polysilicon demand for the photovoltaic (PV) industry toward broad electrification scenarios with 63.4 TW of PV installed by 2050 is studied. The current polysilicon demand by the PV industry in 2021 is equivalent to the consumption of 2.9–3.3 kt GW−1. Depending on the physical constraints determining the lower limit for future polysilicon consumption, the annual demand can be 6–7 Mt year−1 in 2050 under broad electrification, which requires 10–12 times more of the current production capacity. To achieve broad electrification by 2050, cumulative demand of 46–87 Mt is required. An electricity requirement for purification, ingot pulling, and wafering of ≈360–380 kWh kg−1 for silicon wafers and carbon intensity can lead to a cumulative amount of ≈16.4–58.8 Gt of CO2‐eq emissions by 2050. To reduce the environmental impact, efficiencies are increased, thinner wafers are used, kerf loss reduced, alternative purification methods with low emission intensities are explored, and opportunities for polysilicon production with decarbonized electricity are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essential function of a hybrid renewable energy system is to produce an adequate electrical supply to the load demand with low cost. This paper proposes the optimization and operation of the renewable energy power sources for electrification of isolated rural city in Algeria desert. For this purpose, a system composed by PV panel (PV), Wind Turbine (WT), Battery Bank (BB) for storage of the electrical energy and Fuel Cell (FC) with hydrogen tank (H2 Tank) and electrolyzer (Elect) system for storage of the chemical energy is used to fulfill the need of the load. In the present paper we are interested in evolutionary algorithms for solving optimization problem of hybrid configuration of power system. However, a new heuristic algorithm namely whale optimization algorithm (WOA) is used to obtained the best solution of multi-objective optimization system of cost of energy (COE), total net present cost (TNPC) and loss power supply probability (LPSP). Two recent algorithms, particle swarm optimization (PSO) and grey wolf optimizer (GWO) are also implemented in this work. Seven cases studies have been tested for examining the efficient of proposed optimization technique. The suggested whale optimization algorithm, as demonstrated by simulations and comparisons with existing methods, solves the problem of multi-objective optimization of hybrid power system configurations with high accuracy and validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research was conducted to investigate using biodiesel for rural electrification in a rural community in Ghana. A model electrification system was set up to run on biodiesel to evaluate the technical parameters of the power system and compare it with fossil diesel system. The fuel properties for both JCME and PKME and their blends in this study were comparable to commercial diesel and within the limit set by ASTM/EN for biodiesel standards. It was realised that the difference in consumption and engine performance characteristics of biodiesel was not significant at 95% confidence level from fossil diesel. The difference of between 7 and 15% of all technical parameters evaluated gave support that biodiesel could be used instead of fossil diesel for rural electrification in Ghana.

The lack of access to electricity and clean water still affects a substantial proportion of rural areas worldwide, in particular the global south. This paper presents a sustainable polygeneration system that can provide electricity, heat, and drinking water by using agricultural residues in remote rural areas. This polygeneration system consists of a solid biomass-fueled Brayton-Stirling combined cycle system, a boiler, and an air-gap membrane distillation unit. Four different system operation modes were designed to examine the most ideal configurations for maximizing power output, overall efficiency, and/or clean water production, considering a polygeneration system designed for a rural village with daily demands of 13450 kWh electricity and 7.5 m3 drinking water. A thermodynamic analysis are employed to analyze and compare these modes, each operating under steady state conditions. The highest electricity output, up to 160 kW, while the highest clean water is up to 0.7 m3/h. The fuel consumption can reach 0.9 kWh/kg of solid fuel and provide up to 0.0045 m3 of freshwater. In addition, nonlinear multi-objective optimization is used to meet the power demands of typical day in rural areas by varying the polygeneration operation modes and turbine inlet temperature. [Display omitted] • A solid bio-fuel based polygeneration system is developed for a rural village. • It consists of a Brayton-Stirling cycle, a boiler and a membrane distillation unit. • A thermodynamic study is conducted for comparing four designed operation modes. • Flexible operation can be achieved by combining the four operation modes. • The system can provide 1359 kWh electricity and 7.5 m3 clean water per day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the complex origins of energy poverty, focusing on economic, technological, and infrastructural aspects through the analysis of peer-reviewed articles using Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA). By identifying key themes such as "energy scarcity," "energy accessibility," and "sustainable energy," the study emphasizes the urgent need for sustainable and accessible energy solutions. It highlights the shift towards community-led renewable energy initiatives as a critical strategy to achieve climate goals and support a low-carbon future. The research addresses the socio-economic impacts of energy poverty on household income and development, particularly in developing countries. It explores the challenges associated with solar energy in rural electrification and the dynamics of rural energy use and policy. The findings emphasize the importance of region-specific strategies and policies that address the unique challenges faced by rural communities. By advocating for equitable energy distribution and the adoption of renewable resources, the study provides a comprehensive understanding of the critical issues at play. This investigation offers valuable insights for policymakers aiming to combat energy poverty and promote environmental sustainability. It contributes to a deeper understanding of how targeted strategies can alleviate energy poverty and foster sustainable development, supporting efforts towards achieving net-zero emissions and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The study highlights the potential for community-driven initiatives to significantly impact the global energy landscape by presenting perspectives on energy policy and technology rollouts. [Display omitted] • Uses KMeans clustering and Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) for topic analysis. • Identifies key themes: scarcity, access, and sustainability. • Highlights community-led renewable energy's role. • Shows energy poverty's socio-economic impacts. • Advocates for equitable energy policies and renewables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As global efforts to decarbonise industries continue, there is increasing pressure to identify and proliferate sustainable methods of generating electricity, in-line with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 7. The in-stream water wheel is a pico-hydropower technology that generates electricity using only the kinetic energy in the fluid, rather than both potential and kinetic, like most forms of pico-hydropower. Current methods of estimating the power output of these turbines lack validation, robustness and proper justification for their assumptions. This study has developed a new method for predicting the power output of in-stream water wheels, based on fluid dynamics principles, and has been compared with a range of experimental results to confirm its robustness. The new model identifies novel characteristics of the power stroke of the turbine blade, including unsteady effects and negative torque production at certain blade angles. In addition, the model can be tuned to match experimental data, improving its accuracy in specific applications. The better prediction of power output aims to encourage the use of in-stream water wheels as part of the global decarbonisation strategy. • Pico-hydropower for rural electrification. • Robust analytical prediction of kinetic in-stream water wheels. • Power prediction using fluid mechanics principles. • Greater modelling accuracy compared to existing models in literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approximately 172 million rural households in China in 2022, will still rely on traditional biofuels instead of electricity. This study explores the feasibility of achieving rural electrification in China utilization various Energy origins and assesses its potential impact on climate change mitigation. To do so, we employ the Regional Energy Model (REM) to formulate hypotheses for rural power distribution. Covering the era from 2020 until 2050. We evaluate consequences in terms of greenhouse gas discharges, principal energy consumption, associated expenses by comparing these possibilities with a Business- as -Usual (BU) scenario. Our findings reveal that diesel-based arrangements tend to produce 'the maximum Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions, trailed by network-based solutions. Electrification focused on renewable energy-driven applications has the potential to reduce total CO2 emissions by up to 97 % and primary energy consumption by 43 % in 2050 compared to the BU scenario. We also find that electrification through decentralized diesel systems tends to be the priciest choice. Rural electrification utilizing renewable energy emerges as a cost-effective choice when the majority of end-use applications rely on renewable energy sources. However, it becomes less economical than network expansions when electric end-user appliances are predominant. In summary, this study investigates the viability of renewable energy for rural power distribution and its role in climate change abatement in rural China, offering policy suggestions. • Analyzes six energy-based scenarios for China's rural electrification until 2050. • Evaluates GHG emissions, energy use, and costs impacts with regional energy model. • Provides policy insights and uncertainties for China's sustainability goals. • An oil price and distance-based analysis also is done with extra 6 scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper focuses on techno-economic modeling and optimal sizing of autonomous hybrid microgrid systems. The optimal configuration of the suggested stand-alone system was performed by developing a size optimization model based on the metaheuristic novel Grasshopper Optimization algorithm (GOA) method to minimize the Total Net Present Cost (TNPC), unmet load, and Cost of Energy (COE) in the Nsukka Community which comprises 88 villages. The GOA and HOMER Pro Software are employed to compare results across four possible configurations of hybrid renewable power systems (HRES). The comparative analysis between GOA and HOMER shows that configuration-4 (biogas/Diesel), emerges as the optimal solution, with a 0 % unmet load at the COE of $0.01783 per kWh. The findings indicated that the GOA-based HRES, with a higher saturation of Biogas and photovoltaics (PV), proves to be more affordable in comparison to the HOMER-based solutions. The reduction in the COE and NPC of renewable energy for peak demands highlights the growing importance of biogas generators as an affordable local power supply to meet energy demands. This underscores the potential of the GOA in optimizing hybrid renewable energy systems for remote communities, producing an economically viable and sustainable energy solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]