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Globally, about 80 million people are forcibly displaced. Many of them live in dark camps without electricity. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees-managed camp administration commonly provides water to camp residents using polluting diesel generators. Moreover, inadequate cooking energy forces refugees to use unsustainable firewood or skip meals. Solar photovoltaic is increasingly surfacing as an alternative for water pumping. Additionally, it could support all camp-essentials. However, initial high investment impedes the solar photovoltaic proliferation in camps and hinders the United Nations' plan to adopt clean energy in operations. Embracing power purchase agreements may shift the upfront investment to an energy service company though energy remains expensive with supply-focused agreement-crafting. Incorporating demand flexibility and tiered resilience in energy system design may lessen investment and improve utilisation. This study investigates the impact of consumer-integrated power purchase agreement-crafting to economically power camps with solar photovoltaic. Results show solar photovoltaics can power humanitarian settlements while leveraging collaborative consumption to power higher-tier requiring devices with lower-tier photovoltaic supply. Moreover, Solar photovoltaic generation can inexpensively power e-cooking, water pumping, illumination, community essentials, and critical resilience in a refugee camp with a substantial reduction in annual energy charge for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. • Refugee camps pump water with diesel generator and cook with firewood. • Powering all necessities of refugee camps require high-tier supply provision. • Photovoltaic generation to power all camp necessities is investment intensive. • Collaborative consumption can reduce access-tier and investment necessity. • Consumer integrated solar power purchase agreement can be economical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide, more than a billion rural dwellers live without electricity. Billions more endure awfully intermittent service even when connected to the grid. Most of these access challenged communities are in the Global South and may benefit from surging spread of distributed energy resources. However, associated investment necessity is large and so is the time required to address infrastructural bottlenecks. Recognising criticality of universal access to affordable, eco-friendly and reliable electricity in inclusive human development, the United Nations adopted 'affordable and clean energy' as one of the Sustainable Development Goals. To treasure electricity access, measurement of the same is important. The evolution of electricity access measurement has given rise to multi-tier, multi-parameter matrix. This improved measurement framework has facilitated researchers and policymakers in capturing various electricity access parameters in order to script focused energy strategy for the common man. This paper studies electricity availability, consumer aspiration and prevailing consumption in an impoverished, isolated, high-altitude valley, nestled in the Himalayas in India. It outlines evolving technology-aided, access measurement supported innovative access tier advancement opportunities in the valley. The result underscores the importance of consumer-focused approach for improving infrastructure utilisation. Consumer collaboration may result in fast, economical access advancement. Supply reliability may transform from abrupt complete disruption to gradual, cognisant decay. Such transition may encourage consumers to avoid costly, individual backup and instead use available resources sensibly. Embedding aspiration-supporting nudge in electricity regulation may promote co-operation, helping empowered consumers in scaling access tier affordably. • Electricity metering has advanced since comprehensive consumption reporting. • Metering advances can at present support inexpensive consumer Collaboration. • Collaborative consumption may help consumers scale access tier inexpensively. • Improved resource use may favourably impact affordability and consumer utility. • Participative consumption may promote equity, inclusivity and empowerment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, three-quarter of a billion people live without electricity. Besides, hundreds of million use a solar lantern for less than 4 h a day. Most of the access-deprived are in the Global South, predominantly in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The United Nations framed the seventh Sustainable Development Goal to improve access. Solar photovoltaic powered mini-grids are increasingly extending better service to deprived regions. However, poor load-factor and expensive storage adversely affect viability. Also, these mini-grids do not support infrequent large loads to avoid further loss of load-factor. Electric cooking is efficient and non-polluting; water treatment facilities can save millions from contaminant and pathogen by providing clean water. Besides, both electric cooking and water treatment are less expensive than alternatives. But mini-grids frequently do not support these. Indeed, the presence of sustained productive loads favourably influences the mini-grid economy. This study investigates the role of critical household loads to deliver similar bearing on the mini-grid economy. Results underscore realisation of desirable impact with household collaboration under a demand-response program. Collaborative consumption can lower initial investment by 62% and reduce the unit energy cost to $0.23. Also, cooperation improves the mini-grid load factor and promotes viability. Additionally, fast deployment needs during and after Covid-19 remains inherently supported while mitigating the pandemic induced financial stress of both consumer and mini-grid operator. This study of 88 nation-states underscores that demand response in a mini-grid can not only improve affordability for all consumers, but it can also bring 186 million people within affordable access. • Three-quarter of a billion people live without electricity in the Global South. • Power-limited solar photovoltaic supply commonly expands electricity access. • Demand response facilitates powering larger loads with limited supply capacity. • Fast deployment and affordable electricity viable in Covid-19 like pandemics. • Reliable electricity may bring 186 million yet unserved into energy access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]