In a report released yesterday, the World Resources Institute (WRI) recommended solutions, such as solar PV installation, that urban centers of the global south can focus on to improve energy access for under-served residents.
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Ani Dasgupta, global director of WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, said:
“People are often surprised to find that lack of access to electricity and reliance on dirty cooking fuels is not just a rural problem but affects many urban areas in the global south. Cities need to take control of their energy strategy — they can make a difference, and we know that cities and their residents can only thrive when dependable energy services are available for everyone.”
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According to the report, Powering Cities in the Global South, under-utilized rooftops in cities of the global south represent potential sites for value creation with solar PV. For example, where third-party developers lease roof spaces from building owners, long-term rental income can be provided to those owners. This is the case in Gujarat, where the government has implemented a “rent a roof program,” in which residents rent their rooftops to private solar energy companies that in turn pay them INR 3 (US$0.05) for every unit of energy produced.
Existing Problems with Poor Energy Access, Reliability and Affordability
Source: World Resources Institute, Powering Cities in the Global South — How Energy Access for All Benefits the Economy and Environment
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Associated thumbnail image credit: Serenity (Own work) | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Wikimedia Commons
