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FRIHUMSAM-Fri prosj.st. hum og sam

Village scale solar systems for development: Transfer of social and technological innovations between India and Kenya

Awarded: NOK 9.1 mill.

This social science based research project will analyse Indian experiences with implementation and social organisation of village solar PV power plants and their socio-economic impacts. Furthermore, the project will actively transfer experiences from Indi a to Kenya on implementation and social organisation of community electricity supply, both monitoring and influencing the adaptation of the Indian experiences to Kenyan local contexts. The research project will create a local power supply project in a Ken yan village, in a a context and gender sensitive manner. In these ways the project will contribute to the extension of technological and organisational options available for decentralised energy supply in Kenya, and develop a model for south-south transfe r of technological and social innovations. The task will include the pointing out of barriers and opportunities at the national and international level which are influencing the access, financing and implementation of community PV solar power plants in In dia and Kenya. The proposed research project considers technological change as a social learning process, recognising that a whole range of societal factors influence the opportunities for people and communities to achieve technological and social changes . The interdisciplinary and international group of social scientists, technical solar energy experts, and stakeholders from development and solar energy agencies will ensure the practical usefulness of the research. Moreover, the action research element w ill facilitate the co-production of knowledge through interaction between the researchers and the involved local communities, implementing actors, NGO's and policy makers in the process of technology transfer. Dissemination of project results will exceed academic publications and presentations and will include handbooks, videos and courses.

Publications from Cristin

Funding scheme:

FRIHUMSAM-Fri prosj.st. hum og sam