Decentralized cost-optimized renewable systems to increase the electrification of households: The case of Cameroon
Catherina Cader, Paul Bertheau, Christian Breyer
Despite advancing electricity producing technologies with and without renewable energies and international efforts to mitigate energy poverty, rural electrification remains still an unresolved issue in many parts of the developing world. With the high learning curves of renewable energy technologies and the abundance of solar irradiation, wind and hydro resources, solutions seem to exist. However, several years of developing aid with many pilot projects, investments and research show that the lack of providing electricity is a more complex issue. One aspect, which received inadequate consideration until today, is the spatial reference. Spatial information discloses a new dimension of the understanding of local situations, which consequently helps to distinguish the appropriate electrification scheme for each place. Geographical information systems can then beused as a tool to process the existing data so as to obtain large-scale insights for distinguishing between off-grid electrification and grid extension from a geographical point of view.