Renewable Energy Policies in South Asia: The World Bank's Solar Lighting Strategies and Design Principles

The World Bank's 'Design Principles for successful renewable energy interventions' are criticized for failing to enhance poor peoples access to solar lighting, leading to social divides. This book proposes a pro-poor framework that promotes financial inclusion, builds a sound complaint system, and creates genuine partnerships to tackle barriers and achieve the goal of ending poverty through renewable energy interventions.

Format: Hardback
Length: 204 pages
Publication date: 01 January 2021
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The World Bank's 'Design Principles for Successful Renewable Energy Interventions' encompass cost management, good governance, and the selection of technology that aligns with local needs. Focusing on solar lighting and utilizing case studies from Bangladesh and India, this book challenges the underlying assumptions of these principles. It critically assesses the barriers to effective implementation in the field and identifies weaknesses in the World Bank's renewable energy policies. By unveiling unintended consequences, the author argues that the failure to improve access to solar lighting for the poor creates a new layer of social divisions within communities, separating those who can afford solar lighting from those who cannot.

To address these limitations, this book proposes a pro-poor framework that emphasizes financial inclusion. It suggests the establishment of a robust complaint system and the cultivation of genuine partnerships between donors, NGOs, and communities in renewable energy policies. It underscores the importance of implementing proper strategies and demonstrating a strong determination to overcome the barriers, as otherwise, the energy divide between the rich and the poor, particularly in terms of access to clean energy, will continue to widen in poor communities. Consequently, achieving the goal of ending poverty through renewable energy interventions becomes even more challenging.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780415505536