Ratings for the Renewable Energy for Rural Economic Development Project for Sri Lanka were as follows: outcome was satisfactory, risk to development outcome was negligible to low, Bank performance was moderately satisfactory, and Borrower performance was satisfactory.
... See More + Some lessons learned included: local participation and involvement, suitably incentivized, is crucial to promoting distributed power generation activities. Involving the private sector effectively in a decentralized developmental effort requires flexibility in implementation arrangements and space for adapting to market conditions. An appropriate feed-in-tariffs policy and its consistent and transparent application are crucial to spur growth of small scale and non-conventional renewable energy generation. Investments in off-grid electrification can be underutilized or even abandoned in the event of a faster than expected arrival of the electricity grid. To mitigate this, the expansion of the grid should be coordinated with off-grid investments, and, where warranted, the off-grid facilities should be made grid-compatible to ensure continued utility.
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Project Performance Assessment Report 88547 JUN 25, 2014
This knowledge note is the second of three case studies that concerns scaling up access to electricity in Africa, Bangladesh, and Rwanda. Since its inception in 2003, Bangladesh's solar home system program has installed about three million electrification systems in rural households, two-thirds of them in the last three years.
... See More + The program is the most dynamic off-grid electrification program in the world, benefitting more than 15 million people and contributing about 130 MW in renewable energy generation capacity. The case study for Bangladesh is interesting, because off-grid electrification is crucial to reaching universal access. Achieving universal access to modern energy services is one of the three complementary objectives of the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative. Bangladesh's rural electrification program was initiated in 1977 with the creation of the Rural Electrification Board (REB). Yet, it was estimated that at the prevailing pace of grid electrification, Bangladesh was going to take 50 years to reach universal access. By 2002, it had become apparent that an off-grid approach was needed to complement efforts to extend the grid. When the World Bank's first RERED project was being designed in 2002, a two-pronged approach was adopted to promote the use of solar home systems in rural areas, thereby leveraging the country's renewable energy potential, while continuing to help the REB and rural cooperatives improve their operational and financial performance. The programs final design is a good example of how international experience and local know-how can come together to yield an innovative design that suits the country's circumstances. The project's design was flexible (with a range of subsidies and system sizes, for example), allowing for quick adaptation to evolving technology and market conditions, and to consumer feedback.
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Improving access to affordable and reliable energy services for cooking is essential for developing countries in reducing adverse human health and environmental impacts hitherto caused by burning of traditional biomass.
... See More + This paper reviews empirical studies that analyze choices of fuel and adoption of improved stoves for cooking in countries where biomass is still the predominant cooking fuel. The review highlights the wide range of factors that influence households cooking fuel choices and adoption of improved stoves, including socioeconomic (access and availability, collection costs and fuel prices, household income, education and awareness), behavioral (food tastes, lifestyle), and cultural and external factors (indoor air pollution, government policies). The paper also summarizes the evidence on the significant adverse health impacts from exposure to indoor smoke, especially among women and young children. In low-income households, perceived health benefits of adopting improved stoves and financial benefits from fuel savings tend to be outweighed by the costs of improved stoves, even after accounting for the opportunity cost of time spent collecting biomass fuel. The paper identifies knowledge and evidence gaps on the success of policies and programs designed to scale up the adoption of improved cookstoves.
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Policy Research Working Paper WPS6903 JUN 01, 2014
The development objectives of the Second Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Development Project for Bangladesh are to increase access to clean energy in rural areas through renewable energy and to promote more efficient energy consumption.
... See More + This project paper seeks the approval of the Executive Directors to provide an additional credit to the Bangladesh Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Development II (RERED II) Project. The additional financing is required to scale up the access to electricity component supporting installation of solar home systems (SHS) in rural areas of Bangladesh. This project paper also seeks approval for a Level I restructuring of the RERED II project to: (1) close Component C (energy efficient lighting), (2) reallocate the US$17 million from Component C to Component A ($12 million - Access to electricity) and Component D ($5 million - Sector technical assistance), and (3) revise the RERED II Project Development Objective (PDO) to increase access to clean energy in rural areas through renewable energy to reflect the closure of Component C (the results indicators would also be revised in this regard). The original objective was to increase access to clean energy in rural areas through renewable energy and to promote more efficient energy consumption.
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The growing interest in clean cooking, with its potential benefits for human health, environmental protection, and climate change, has prompted development specialists to reconsider the quality and performance of cook stoves.
... See More + Governments, donors, and development organizations want to ensure that the cook stoves they promote meet standards that will yield the greatest possible benefits over time, when adopted and used properly. Households need to understand differences in cook stove performance if they are to select those that represent the best value for money. In this context, the report presents problems of traditional cook stoves; benefits of fuel-efficient cook stoves; potential benefits of advanced combustion cook stoves; and can cook stove performance be measured?
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Brief 88058 MAY 15, 2014
Ekouevi, Koffi; Freeman, Kate Kennedy; Soni, Ruchi
This report was prepared by Practical Action Consulting for the Africa Clean Cooking Energy Solutions (ACCES) initiative of the World Bank. Most of Sub-Saharan Africa continues to rely overwhelmingly on traditional fuels and cooking technologies, both of which are a major cause of death and illness as well as a range of socio-economic and environmental problems.
... See More + More than 90 per cent of the rural population of Senegal relies on solid fuels (charcoal and firewood in particular, but also dung and agricultural residues) to meet its household cooking needs. The primary objective of this study is, (a) to establish a baseline for the current level of penetration of four alternative cooking fuels in Senegal in a number of pre-identified regions, and (b) to assess the feasibility of adopting them in those regions. The four fuels are briquettes from charcoal dust and agricultural residues; ethanol, mainly from sugar cane residue (that is, molasses); pure plant oil (PPO) from locally grown, oil-bearing plants such as Jatropha curcas; and a household biogas system using mainly livestock waste. Against this background, the World Bank commissioned this study to assess the feasibility of promoting the use of a number of alternative cooking fuels in Senegal, which were pre-identified for possible support under its Sustainable and Participatory Energy Management Project (PROGEDE II). Four alternative fuels were analysed in terms of their potential for adoption by households for cooking, each in a different region of Senegal: (a) briquettes in Dakar, (b) ethanol in Saint-Louis, (c) biogas in Kaolack, and (d) pure plant oil (PPO) in Tambacounda. The study includes a baseline assessment of household cooking fuels in Senegal, including a number of alternative fuels, as well as an analysis of their potential supply chains. Its objective is to inform a range of relevant stakeholders, in particular the Ministry of Energy and Mines in Senegal, the World Bank's PROGEDE II, nongovernmental organisations, investors and private sector companies, about strategies to increase production of and access to these alternative fuels. The study also presents important lessons on each alternative fuel deriving from household surveys in each region, a review of the relevant literature, interviews with stakeholder organisations, and focus group discussions (FGDs).
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The Government of Bangladesh, with help from the World Bank and other donors, has provided aid to a local agency called Infrastructure Development Company Limited and its partner organizations to devise a credit scheme for marketing solar home system units and making these an affordable alternative to grid electricity for poor people in remote areas.
... See More + This paper uses household survey data to examine the financing scheme behind the dissemination of these solar home systems, in particular the role of the subsidy; the factors that determine the adoption of the systems in rural Bangladesh; and the welfare impacts of such adoption. The paper finds that while the subsidy has been declining over time, the demand for solar home systems has seen phenomenal growth, mostly because of technological developments that have made the systems increasingly more affordable. Households with better physical and educational endowments are more likely to adopt solar home systems than poor households. The price of the system matters in household decision making -- a 10 percent decline in the price of the system increases the overall demand for a solar panel by 2 percent. As for the benefits, adoption of a solar home system improves childrens evening study time, lowers kerosene consumption, and provides health benefits for household members, in particular for women. It is also found to increase women's decision-making ability in certain household affairs. Finally, it is found to increase household consumption expenditure, although at a small scale.
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Policy Research Working Paper WPS6724 DEC 01, 2013
Samad, Hussain A.; Khandker, Shahidur R.; Asaduzzaman, M.; Yunus, Mohammad
Liverani, M. Andrea; von Thadden, Mme Sylke; Hamilton, M. Kirk E.; Touati, M. Manaf; Demangel, M. Pierre; Aouab, Mme Jehanne; Bekhechi, M. Mohammed; Belghazi, M. Saad; Gehne, Mme Katja
The development objective of the Rural Electrification Hybrid System Project for Mali is to expand access to modern energy services in rural areas of the recipient and to increase renewable energy generation in target areas.
... See More + There are three components to the project. The first component of the project is service improvement and extension of existing mini-grids. This component will increase renewable energy generation capacity in existing rural power stations supplying rural mini grids and expand those mini-grids, through: addition of approximately 4.8 MWp of capacity through hybrid systems, including photovoltaic panels, inverters, batteries and control electronics, and mini-grid extension and densification. The second component of the project is development of off-grid lighting markets and energy efficiency. This component aims to: catalyze the markets for off-grid lighting and solar lanterns in targeted rural areas, and improve energy efficiency and promote a rational and efficient use of electricity on targeted mini-grids. The third component of the project is project management support and capacity building. This component supports project management and implementation, capacity building and technical assistance to rural energy sector stakeholders, monitoring and evaluation.
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Today more than half of China's population relies on solid fuels (biomass and coal) for cooking and heating. Each year, household air pollution linked to solid fuel combustion accounts for more than a million premature deaths in China.
... See More + Many residents, mainly in rural areas, are likely to continue using solid fuels in the near future. Scaled-up access to clean-burning, fuel-efficient stoves can mitigate the health risks to households. It is also consistent with China's strategy to promote energy conservation, emissions reduction, and green energy in villages. There is an opportunity to build on earlier efforts to accelerate household access to clean cooking and heating. In the 1980s and 1990s, China had the world's most successful national stoves program, but recent policies and programs have tended to be fragmented. An integrated strategy is provided for strengthening institutional capacity and building an enabling environment, developing a thriving market and household demand, and adopting a results-based financing approach.
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Today more than half of China's population relies on solid fuels (biomass and coal) for cooking and heating. Each year, household air pollution linked to solid fuel combustion accounts for more than a million premature deaths in China.
... See More + Many residents, mainly in rural areas, are likely to continue using solid fuels in the near future. Scaled-up access to clean-burning, fuel-efficient stoves can mitigate the health risks to households. It is also consistent with China's strategy to promote energy conservation, emissions reduction, and green energy in villages. There is an opportunity to build on earlier efforts to accelerate household access to clean cooking and heating. In the 1980s and 1990s, China had the world's most successful national stoves program, but recent policies and programs have tended to be fragmented. An integrated strategy is provided for strengthening institutional capacity and building an enabling environment, developing a thriving market and household demand, and adopting a results-based financing approach.
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This study concerns recent developments in the consumption and production of bioenergy. It examines the main issues and possible economic implications of these developments and assesses their potential impact on land use and the environment, especially with respect to forests.
... See More + The report examines both solid biomass and liquid biofuels, identifying opportunities and challenges at the regional and country levels. The development of bioenergy presents both opportunities and challenges for economic development and the environment. It is likely to have significant impacts on the forest sector, directly, through the use of wood for energy production, and indirectly, as a result of changes in land use. The impact of bioenergy on poverty alleviation in developing countries will depend on the opportunities for agricultural development, including income and employment generation, the potential to increase poor peoples' access to improved types of bioenergy; and the effects on energy and food prices. Five main messages emerge from this report: solid biomass will continue to be a principal source of energy; developments in bioenergy will have major implications for land use; tradeoffs, including those related to poverty, equity, and the environment, must be evaluated when choosing a bioenergy system; there is considerable potential for making greater use of forestry and timber waste as a bioenergy feedstock; and the climate benefits of bioenergy development are uncertain and highly location and feedstock specific.
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The objective of the Increased Access to Modern Energy Project is to improve reliability and efficiency of, and access to, modern energy services in Benin.
... See More + The changes to the project are, as follows: (i) canceling activities that have not advanced and are impossible to implement before the credit closing date and canceling the corresponding financing amounting to (in SDR) the equivalent of US$ 15.5 million; (ii) modifying the components by adding activities that reflect new government priorities; (iii) reallocating credit proceeds in accordance with the revised project description and corresponding procurement plan; (iv) amending the results framework to reflect revised indicators and targets that correspond to the new activities; (v) simplifying and strengthening the implementation arrangements by reducing the number of implementation agencies from four (4) to two (2); and (vi) extending the credit closing date by one year from June 30, 2015 to June 30, 2016 to allow for the completion of activities.
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Forty percent of Indonesia's more than 60 million households continue to rely heavily on traditional biomass fuels for cooking. Household air pollution from solid fuel combustion is linked to some 165,000 premature deaths in Indonesia each year.
... See More + In rural Indonesia, biomass is renewably harvested and abundant and affordable to the poor. All commercially sold stoves are made by local artisan producers, and profit is the supply chain's major concern. Introducing new models will need to be linked to a higher profit margin and training in business development. Achieving universal access to clean cooking by 2030 will require developing a thriving clean biomass stove market. An integrated approach, using a results-based financing mechanism, is expected to overcome supply and demand side barriers and institutional constraints. This brief discusses the following issues: changing landscape of household cooking fuels; mitigating the health risks of biomass cooking; sustained demand for firewood as cooking fuel; limited biomass stove market and types; learning from successful clean cooking programs; key policy recommendations; results-based financing; scenario analysis results; and the road ahead.
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Forty percent of Indonesia's more than 60 million households continue to rely heavily on traditional biomass fuels for cooking. Household air pollution from solid fuel combustion is linked to some 165,000 premature deaths in Indonesia each year.
... See More + In rural Indonesia, biomass is renewably harvested and abundant and affordable to the poor. All commercially sold stoves are made by local artisan producers, and profit is the supply chain's major concern. Introducing new models will need to be linked to a higher profit margin and training in business development. Achieving universal access to clean cooking by 2030 will require developing a thriving clean biomass stove market. An integrated approach, using a results-based financing mechanism, is expected to overcome supply and demand side barriers and institutional constraints. This brief discusses the following issues: changing landscape of household cooking fuels; mitigating the health risks of biomass cooking; sustained demand for firewood as cooking fuel; limited biomass stove market and types; learning from successful clean cooking programs; key policy recommendations; results-based financing; scenario analysis results; and the road ahead.
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The China Clean Stove Initiative (CSI), a collaborative effort of the Chinese government and the World Bank, aims to scale up access to clean cooking and heating stoves for poor, primarily rural households, who are likely to continue using solid fuels beyond 2030.
... See More + More than half of China's population still relies on solid fuels (coal and biomass) for cooking and heating; many of these households, located mainly in rural areas, are likely to continue using solid fuels in the near future. Switching to modern energy alternatives would be the most effective way to achieve clean cooking and heating solutions and should be encouraged; yet such fuels are more expensive than solid fuels, requiring more costly stoves and delivery infrastructure. Effective strategies to scale up the dissemination of clean burning, fuel-efficient stoves for household cooking and heating can mitigate the health hazards associated with the burning of solid fuels. It is estimated that Household Air Pollution (HAP) from solid fuel use results in more than a million premature deaths each year in China. Scaled-up access to clean and efficient stoves is consistent with China's strategy to promote energy conservation, reduced carbon emissions, and green energy in villages. The China CSI comprises four phases: 1) initial stocktaking and development of the implementation strategy; 2) institutional strengthening, capacity building, and piloting of the strategy; 3) scaled-up program implementation; and 4) evaluation and dissemination of lessons learned. This report will serve as a knowledge base and roadmap to encourage and engage all interested parties in working together on this important agenda. The initial CSI stocktaking exercise calls for a comprehensive strategy comprising institutional strengthening and building of an enabling policy and regulatory environment, market and business development, and stimulation of household demand, supported by an innovative, results based financing approach.
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Household air pollution is the second leading cause of disease in Madagascar, where more than 99 percent of households rely on solid biomass, such as charcoal, wood, and crop waste, as the main cooking fuel.
... See More + Only a limited number of studies have looked at the emissions and health consequences of cook stoves in Africa. This paper summarizes an initiative to monitor household air pollution in two towns in Madagascar, with a stratified sample of 154 and 184 households. Concentrations of fine particulate matter and carbon monoxide in each kitchen were monitored three times using UCB Particle Monitors and GasBadge Pro Single Gas Monitors. The average concentrations of both pollutants significantly exceeded World Health Organization guidelines for indoor exposure. A fixed-effect panel regression analysis was conducted to investigate the effects of various factors, including fuel (charcoal, wood, and ethanol), stove (traditional and improved ethanol), kitchen size, ventilation, building materials, and ambient environment. Judging by its effect on fine particulate matter and carbon monoxide, ethanol is significantly cleaner than biomass fuels and, for both pollutants, a larger kitchen significantly improves the quality of household air. Compared with traditional charcoal stoves, improved charcoal stoves were found to have no significant impact on air quality, but the improved wood stove with a chimney was effective in reducing concentrations of carbon monoxide in the kitchen, as was ventilation.
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Policy Research Working Paper WPS6627 SEP 01, 2013
Dasgupta, Susmita; Martin, Paul; Samad, Hussain A.
The East Asia and Pacific (EAP) clean stove initiative (CSI) forum is part of the World Bank's EAP CSI regional program, which focuses on achieving access to modern cooking and heating solutions in the EAP region, particularly through the scaled-up access to advanced cooking and heating stoves for poor, primarily rural households, who are likely to continue using solid fuels to meet their cooking and heating needs beyond 2030.
... See More + The objectives of the EAP CSI forum are twofold. The first is to share results from implementing the first phase of the CSI, including reports on initial stocktaking activities in the four participating countries and the intervention strategies. The second is to promote collaboration, learning, and knowledge-sharing as the country initiatives move into their second phase. Market forces and mechanisms are powerful tools for ensuring a sustainable supply of clean cooking stoves and should be harnessed in a way that helps the private sector develop, market, and deliver modern cooking solutions. Thus, the CSI intervention strategy in each country needs to strike the right balance between market-based solutions, including innovative financing mechanisms (for example, results-based financing (RBF), with appropriately targeted subsidies. Government policies are needed to: (i) establish and maintain adequate levels of subsidies; and (ii) design and implement effective subsidy allocation mechanisms to mobilize and sustain private-sector participation in scaling up access to clean stoves. This paper is organized as follows: chapter one is Indonesia: toward universal access to clean cooking, key findings from the CSI; chapter two is Indonesia CSI program: government perspective; chapter three gives CSI implementation activity in Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR); chapter four is China: toward universal access to clean cooking and heating, key findings from the CSI (phase one); chapter five presents development of clean stoves in China; and chapter six is millennium challenge account: Mongolia energy and environment project (2010 to 2013).
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