Developing a Brighter Future: A Case Study on Renewable Energy Use in Ladakh

This paper deals with the energy development in the Himalayan region of Ladakh, looking into how different initiatives of renewable energy use affect perceived and material living standards. The study is based on a minor field study carried out in Ladakh in the spring of 2009, and will be presented as a case study. Today, most parts of Ladakh already rely to some extent on renewable energy sources as a complement to fossil fuels for their energy supply. The area now stands at the threshold to an energy-intensive age. In a time when energy usage is increasing, new ways to meet popular demand are needed. The paper analyzes the different types of technologies utilized in the increasing renewable energy production, dividing them into different subgroups depending on their relationship with global material flows. It also studies possibilities for energy development in remote rural areas where grid electricity is not a feasible option. The paper also offers a critical discussion of conventional and sustainable development, where it argues that one possible way of achieving strong sustainability is through what is here called independent technology, that is, technology that can be constructed locally without relying on global flows of resources.