Cost-effectiveness of rural energy access strategies
Summary. This paper evaluates cost-effectiveness of rural energy access strategies in sub-Saharan Africa by comparing on-grid electrification, off-grid solar, mini-grids, and improved cooking technologies. The authors find that on-grid electrification delivers disappointing results relative to costs, while stand-alone solar systems and energy-efficient biomass cookstoves emerge as the most cost-effective options. Mini-grids face unresolved sustainability challenges that undermine their viability.
Cite this article
Peters, J., Bensch, G., Moull, K., Rauschenbach, M., & Sievert, M.. (2025). Cost-effectiveness of rural energy access strategies. Energy Policy. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2025.114633
Peters, Jörg, et al. “Cost-effectiveness of rural energy access strategies.” Energy Policy, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2025.114633.
Peters, Jörg, Gunther Bensch, Kevin Moull, Mascha Rauschenbach, and Maximiliane Sievert. 2025. “Cost-effectiveness of rural energy access strategies.” Energy Policy. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2025.114633.
@article{peters-2025-cost-effectiveness-rural-energy-access,
title = {Cost-effectiveness of rural energy access strategies},
author = {Jörg Peters and Gunther Bensch and Kevin Moull and Mascha Rauschenbach and Maximiliane Sievert},
journal = {Energy Policy},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1016/j.enpol.2025.114633},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2025.114633}
}
TY - JOUR TI - Cost-effectiveness of rural energy access strategies AU - Jörg Peters AU - Gunther Bensch AU - Kevin Moull AU - Mascha Rauschenbach AU - Maximiliane Sievert JO - Energy Policy PY - 2025 DO - 10.1016/j.enpol.2025.114633 UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2025.114633 ER -