Technology Choices for Off-Grid Electrification

Abstract

This chapter briefly discusses the characteristics and requirements of technologies for decentralized power generation with special reference to South Asian countries. The individual technologies are then discussed in terms of resource characteristics, technology description, economic analysis, advantages and constraints, and current status. The discussions benefit from the personal experience of one of the authors in technology development as well as extensive field visits and stake-holder interactions in India. It is observed that none of currently available technologies is individually capable of addressing the problem of energy poverty in the developing countries. It is only with further advances in technology and with the deployment of the full range of renewable energy technologies that universal energy access is achievable. Though the observations and conclusions are based on experiences in India, these seem to be relevant to all developing regions which have no access to modern energy services.