More Like this

1. The need for agricultural productive uses in the national electrification plan of sub-Saharan African countries—a call to action for Ethiopia

   https://doi.org/10.1088/2634-4505/ac611e  

   Van-Hein Sackey, Charles; Nock, Destenie (May 2022, Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability)

   Abstract Access to electricity is a crucial aspect of sub-Saharan Africa’s path towards development. In light of the potential for electricity access to improve quality of life, the United Nations aims to achieve universal access to ‘clean, reliable, affordable and modern’ electricity as Goal 7 of its Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 7). As such, governments of sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries, such as Ethiopia, have developed national electrification plans to outline their pathway to universal access to electricity. In this paper, we identify why it is essential for the national electrification plans of SSA countries to prioritize electricity access for productive uses in its agricultural sector, using Ethiopia as a case study. Reviewing existing literature and using the authors’ research, we point out that there is 3.04 terawatt-hours of latent demand for small-scale pressurized cereal-crop irrigation alone in Ethiopia. Supplying this electricity demand for small-scale irrigation could lead to a reduction in the levelized cost of electricity of up to 95%. We conclude our paper by recommending the creation of a cross-sector national productive use commission that would be tasked with collecting and sharing relevant data from each sector and collaboratively creating a national productive use program that would ensure that Ethiopia reaps the full benefits and potential for wealth creation from access to electricity. 

   more » « less
2. Incorporating Elicited Preferences for Equality into Electricity System Planning Modeling

   https://doi.org/10.3390/su152316351  

   Van-Hein_Sackey, Charles; Nock, Destenie; Cao, Christine; Armanios, Daniel; Davis, Alex (December 2023, Sustainability)

   Sustainable Development Goal 7 of the United Nations is to achieve universal access to clean, modern and affordable electricity by 2030. However, 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) currently do not have access to electricity. As a result of this energy inequality, countries in SSA need to plan electricity systems that provide access in an equitable manner. The research question we explore in this paper is how integrating elicited preferences for equality into an electricity system planning model affects investment decisions regarding technology deployment. Our novel contribution is proposing a framework in the form of a discrete choice experiment and a statistical estimation model to determine decision makers’ preferences for equality. In our study, we find that higher preferences for equality result in an increased deployment of solar diesel mini-grids. These hybrid mini-grids, in turn, drive the carbon emissions intensity of the electricity system fourfold. As such, there is a need for stakeholders in Africa’s energy sector to consider the potential divergence between a carbon-minimizing electrification strategy and equitable electrification. 

   more » « less
3. Temperature and precipitation affect the water fetching time burden in Sub-Saharan Africa

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58780-9  

   Paulos, Abigail Harvey; Carroll, David A; Powers, Julie; Campolo, Jake; Kim, Daehyun Daniel; Cohn, Avery; Pickering, Amy J (December 2025, Nature Communications)

   Abstract In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), over 75% of households lack on-premises water access, requiring residents to spend time walking to collect water from outside their homes – a time burden that falls disproportionately on women and girls. Climate change is predicted to alter precipitation and temperature patterns in SSA, which could impact household water access. Here, we use spatial first differences to assess the causal effects of weather on water fetching walk time using household survey data (n = 979,759 observations from 31 countries) merged with geo- and temporally-linked precipitation and temperature data over time periods ranging from 7 to 365 days. We find increases in precipitation reduce water fetching times; a 1 cm increase in weekly rainfall over the past year decreases walking time by 3.5 min. Higher temperatures increase walk times, with a 1°C increase in temperature over the past year increasing walking time by 0.76 min. Rural household water fetching times are more impacted by recent weather compared to urban households; however, electricity access in rural communities mitigates the effect. Our findings suggest that future climate change will increase the water fetching burden in SSA, but that co-provision of electricity and water infrastructure may be able to alleviate this burden. 

   more » « less
4. Comprehensive approaches to electrifying rural health facilities: Integrating renewable energy and financial mechanisms in Sub-Saharan Africa

   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esr.2025.101736  

   Imasiku, Katundu (May 2025, Energy Strategy Reviews)

   Access to electricity is important for delivering quality healthcare. This study explores innovative and comprehensive approaches to electrifying rural health facilities in Sub-Saharan Africa by integrating renewable energy solutions and innovative financial mechanisms. It assesses funding models, investment strategies, and policy frameworks to support energy access for healthcare delivery in underserved regions. This study shows that the electrification of rural health facilities can be achieved through a combination of renewable energy development and robust financial mechanisms. Investment by governments, the private sector, and development organizations is needed to increase the electrification of rural health facilities. 

   more » « less
5. Quantifying the electricity, CO ₂ emissions, and economic tradeoffs of precooling strategies for a single-family home in Southern California*

   https://doi.org/10.1088/2634-4505/ac5d60  

   Mayes, Stepp; Sanders, Kelly (May 2022, Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability)

   Abstract High fractions of variable renewable electricity generation have challenged grid management within the balancing authority overseen by the California’s Independent System Operator (CAISO). In the early evening, solar resources tend to diminish as the system approaches peak demand, putting pressure on fast-responding, emissions-intensive natural gas generators. While residential precooling, a strategy intended to shift the timing of air-conditioning usage from peak-demand periods to cheaper off-peak periods, has been touted in the literature as being effective for reducing peak electricity usage and costs, we explore its impact on CO₂emissions in regional grids like CAISO that have large disparities in their daytime versus nighttime emissions intensities. Here we use EnergyPlus to simulate precooling in a typical U.S. single-family home in California climate zone 9 to quantify the impact of precooling on peak electricity usage, CO₂emissions, and residential utility costs. We find that replacing a constant-setpoint cooling schedule with a precooling schedule can reduce peak period electricity consumption by 57% and residential electricity costs by nearly 13%, while also reducing CO₂emissions by 3.5%. These results suggest the traditional benefits of precooling can be achieved with an additional benefit of reducing CO₂emissions in grids with high daytime renewable energy penetrations. 

   more » « less