The original research contained in this volume identifies the options for the provision of modern and improved energy services, based on renewables, to low-income rural areas, with special emphasis on the productive uses of energy. In the five countries represented - Botswana, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Zambia and Zimbabwe - the book focuses on three themes: whether a decentralized approach to energy delivery is better than more centralized provision, on the role of income-generating activities in attracting modern energy services in rural areas, and on the barriers as well as opportunities that exist in the promotion of renewable energy technologies in the rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa.
Energy supply is a key factor in economic and social development, but lack of modern energy in rural areas limits efforts to alleviate poverty and improve living standards.
