From the Ground Up: The Business and Policy Landscape for Energy Access in Zambia (2018-2019)
In this large southern African country, off-grid energy companies know there is widespread demand for their services. However, they struggle to identify the best locations for expansion, and many communities still lack access to electricity—a key barrier to jobs, quality of life and economic growth.
This project team set out to understand the energy access problem and potential solutions from the perspectives of people dealing with it first-hand. Through two trips to Zambia, team members built relationships with key players in the sector. They also visited a wide range of communities and went door to door to understand residents’ energy needs and habits.
Back on campus, they created an open-source geospatial model to help project developers and system planners identify location-specific assets, opportunities and barriers for expanding access to energy. Users can apply filters, add custom data layers, examine customers’ willingness and ability to pay for services and identify the most appropriate sites for off-grid electrification based on individualized criteria.
Team members also produced an overview of the Zambian off-grid ecosystem including all important stakeholders, financing and assistance platforms, and market barriers.
Three Nicholas School master’s students are moving forward on one aspect of this work, teaming up with energy services company Standard Microgrid to understand the types of small businesses that are critical to anchoring electricity demand and spurring development in Zambian microgrid communities.
Timing
Summer 2018 – Spring 2019
Team Outputs
Off-Grid Market Selection in Zambia (overview document by Ayo Balogun, Ian Ferguson, Sumin Wang)
Energy Access in Zambia: From the Ground Up (poster by Rob Fetter, Jonathan Phillips, Subhrendu Pattanayak, John Fay, Marc Jeuland, Robyn Meeks, Dalia Patino-Echeverri, John Simpkins, Aashna Aggarwal, Ayo Balogun, Ian Ferguson, Adaiya Granberry, Manfei He, Kemunto Okindo, Pooja Madhusudan Rao, Harshvardhan Sanghi, Rachel Wall, Sumin Wang, Miranda Wolford, Evelyn Yun, presented at Bass Connections Showcase, Duke University, April 17, 2019)
Reflections
Video
Aashna Aggarwal, TEDxDuke: Identifying Hidden Opportunities for Value Creation
Energy Student Profile: Aashna Aggarwal
Audio
This Team in the News
Team Explores Energy Access in Zambia from the Ground Up
Meet the Members of the 2019-2020 Bass Connections Student Advisory Council
Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions 2019 Annual Report
These Seniors Took Their Bass Connections Research Further and Graduated with Distinction
Can Microgrids Enable Macro Development?
Donor Support Spurs Interdisciplinary Research on Pressing Global Challenges
Team Leaders
- T. Robert Fetter, Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions
- Jonathan Phillips, Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions
/graduate Team Members
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Ian Ferguson, International Development Pol, Master of Environmental Management, Energy and Environment
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Sumin Wang, Master of Environmental Management, Energy and Environment
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Manfei He, Master of Environmental Management, Energy and Environment
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Rachel Wall, International Dev Policy, Masters of Public Policy
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Pooja Madhusudan Rao, Masters of Public Policy
/undergraduate Team Members
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Kemunto Okindo, Civil Engineering (BSE)
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Xueqing Yun, Statistical Science (BS)
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Miranda Wolford, Int Comparative Studies (AB)
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Harshvardhan Sanghi, Mechanical Engineering (BSE)
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Aashna Aggarwal, Economics (BS)
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Adaiya Granberry, Public Policy Studies (AB)
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Ayooluwa Balogun, Mechanical Engineering (BSE)
/yfaculty/staff Team Members
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Dalia Patino Echeverri, Nicholas School of the Environment-Environmental Sciences and Policy
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Subhrendu Pattanayak, Sanford School of Public Policy
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Robyn Meeks, Sanford School of Public Policy
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John Simpkins, Duke Law
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Marc Jeuland, Sanford School of Public Policy
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John Fay, Nicholas School of the Environment-Environmental Sciences and Policy