Guide to appropriate electrification for rural areas of developing countries

This thesis is a guidebook to appropriate rural electrification decisions for developing countries. The principal guidance is in choosing between different remote generation options for mini-grids. The thesis also guides the decision-maker through the non-technical decisions involved in rural electrification projects. I advocate a participatory approach with the chief emphasis being on the sustainability of the project. The structure of the thesis is based on standard steps of decision-making: describe the problem, select the criteria for decision-making, construct the alternatives, and choose. Lessons about electrification benefits and distribution, technology, and institutional alternatives are drawn from case studies. Principal lessons learned are that electrification is not always appropriate, integrated projects will be necessary to achieve many of the purported benefits, the cheapest option will not necessarily be the most appropriate, and the institutional set-up is the most critical part of achieving a sustainable system.