http://repository.pauwes-cop.net/handle/1/284 2026-07-26T17:35:39Z http://repository.pauwes-cop.net/handle/1/443 Impacts of Electricity Outages in Urban Households in Developing Countries: A Case of Accra, Ghana Nduhuura, Paul; Garschagen, Matthias; Zerga, Abdellatif Many developing countries in Africa face a “double tragedy” when it comes to electrifica tion. Electricity access rates are low, while those who have access to electricity face frequent outages. There are ongoing efforts aimed at increasing access to electricity on the continent. However, the need to improve the reliability of electricity supply receives limited attention. Unreliable electricity impacts users by limiting electricity utilization and the benefits that should accrue from having an electricity connection. Using data from 496 household survey questionnaires, this study examines the impacts of electricity outages in urban households in Accra, Ghana. The study applies correlation and regression analyses to identify which household characteristics are associated with or predict households reporting outage impacts. Outages were found to impact household safety/security, ac cess to food, and access to social services and were found to cause appliance damage as well. Factors that are significantly correlated with reporting certain outage impacts include respondent’s annual income and employment status, frequency of electricity outages, and household size. Significant predictors of reporting outage impacts are socioeconomic disadvantage, high exposure to outages, and living in a large family setting. The study’s findings underscore the need for interventions to eliminate, or at least minimize, electricity supply interruptions in developing countries if sustainable social and economic development is to be achieved. 2021-06-20T00:00:00Z http://repository.pauwes-cop.net/handle/1/386 COVID-19 Energy Sector Responses in Africa: A Review of Preliminary Government Interventions Akrofi, Mark McCarthy; Antwi, Sarpong Hammond The COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed unprecedented shocks across all facets of society, from strained healthcare systems to the closure of schools and economies. The energy sector is of no exception, with several concerns being raised about the ramifications that will arise for the clean energy transition. The goal of our study is to review how governments in Africa have responded to this challenge in the energy sector. We used an internet search to gather information from government policy statements/briefs, and websites of international organizations such as the IMF, WHO, KPMG, and the World Bank. Our review revealed that the majority of preliminary responses were short-term and include the provision of free electricity, waiver/suspension of bill payments, and VAT exemptions on electricity bills. These measures were more pronounced in sub-Sahara Africa while oil-rich countries of the North mostly have broad economic measures that target their oil and gas sectors. Economic stimulus packages prepared by most countries do not explicitly mention energy sector companies/ institutions, especially the Renewable Energies (RE) sector. Only three countries (Nigeria, Kenya, and Burkina Faso) had specific interventions for renewables. Overall, interventions were mostly fiscal/financial and shortterm, with medium to long term measures often broad without being specific to the energy sector. As governments take measures to bolster their economies, they must pay particular attention to the challenges posed by the pandemic in the energy sector and capitalize on the opportunities that it presents to drive the clean energy transition. 2020-07-06T00:00:00Z http://repository.pauwes-cop.net/handle/1/383 Analyzing Actors’ Engagement in Sustainable Energy Planning at the Local Level in Ghana: An Empirical Study Qudrat-Ullah, Hassan; Akrofi, Mark McCarthy; Kayal, Aymen Actors play a crucial role in sustainable energy development yet interaction in different contexts is an area that has not received much scholarly attention. Sustainable energy transitions theories such as the Multi-Level Perspective, for instance, have been criticized for not describing precisely the nature of the interactions between actors and institutions within socio-technical systems. The goal of this study was to empirically examine local actors’ engagement and its impact on the planning and implementation of sustainable energy initiatives in the villages and remote areas in Ghana. Using the mixed methodology approach, interviews were performed, focus discussion groups were held, and archival data were collected, and social network modeling and case study analysis was performed. Our findings showed that sustainable energy development at the local level depends on an interplay between local government agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), central government agencies, local communities, and private sector organizations. Despite being the focal point at the local level, local government involvement in sustainable energy planning is limited. In the case of Ghana, sustainable energy planning remains centralized and is manifested in a low level of awareness of local actors on national energy plans. The implication for decision makers is that energy planning functions should be devolved to the local government. Such devolution is expected to ensure the integration of sustainable energies into local government plans for the well-coordinated implementation and effective monitoring of sustainable energy projects. 2020-04-18T00:00:00Z http://repository.pauwes-cop.net/handle/1/362 Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Grid-Integrated Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems in Northern Nigeria Jumare, Ismail Abubakar; Bhandari, Ramchandra; Zerga, Abdellatif Life cycle assessment is a crucial tool in evaluating systems performances for sustainability and decision-making. This paper provided environmental impact of integrating renewable energy systems to the utility-grid based on a baseline optimized energy production data from “HOMER” for renewable systems modelling of a site in northern Nigeria. The ultimate goal was to ascertain the best hybrid option(s) in sustaining the environment. Different assumptions and scenarios were modelled and simulated using Ganzleitlichen Bilanz (GaBi). Uncertainty analysis was ensured to the impact data based on pedigree-matrix and Excel-program, as well as overall policy relevance. The results of the impact categories revealed first scenario (i.e., conventional path-based) with the highest impacts on global warming potential (GWP), acidification potential (AP), human toxicity potential (HTP), and abiotic depletion potential (ADPfossils). The lowest impacts arise in the renewable-based scenarios for all the considered categories except the Ozone-layer depletion potential Category where the highest contribution falls in the third scenario (i.e., photovoltaic (PV)/biomass-biogas system) although all values being infinitesimal. In quantitative terms, the reduction in the GWP from the highest being the first scenario to the lowest being the fourth scenario (i.e., wind/biomass-biogas system) was 96.5%. Hence, with the outstanding contributions of the hybrid renewable systems, adopting them especially the lowest impact scenarios with expansions is relevant for environmental sustainability. 2019-10-01T00:00:00Z