Article
Economics
Marta Talevi, Subhrendu K. Pattanayak, Ipsita Das, Jessica J. Lewis, Ashok K. Singha
Summary: Biogas has the potential to meet the clean energy needs of rural households, reducing costs and emissions. A study in rural India found that households value smoke reduction and fuel efficiency, and are willing to pay a premium for biogas. However, willingness to pay varies based on previous experience with biogas, as well as household time and risk preferences.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Ana Kodba, Tomislav Puks, Neven Duic
Summary: This study proposes a P-graph-based model for optimizing a biomass supply network. The objective is to find the most cost-effective biomass supply network while meeting the greenhouse gas emission requirements. The model extends the P-graph-based biomass supply network and incorporates the limitation on greenhouse gas emissions associated with biogas use.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Fubin Huang, Zihan Wang, Jing Liu, Chuanmin Shuai, Wenjing Li
Summary: This study investigates the impacts of poverty depth and capability deprivation on energy choice, finding that higher poverty depth leads to a higher probability of using solid energy. The research provides insights for policymakers in designing poverty eradication strategies and future studies.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Business
Rufei Ma, Liqian Deng, Qiang Ji, Pengxiang Zhai
Summary: This paper examines the impact of environmental regulations on energy poverty in China. The study finds that stricter environmental regulations worsen energy poverty for households using non-clean energy, while access to reliable clean energy helps mitigate the adverse effects of these regulations on energy poverty.
TECHNOLOGICAL FORECASTING AND SOCIAL CHANGE
(2022)
Article
Economics
Dede W. Gafa, Aklesso Y. G. Egbendewe, Laurent Jodoin
Summary: This study proposes a redefinition of the affordability criterion within the energy justice framework and applies it to rural data from Benin, Senegal, and Togo. The results indicate that non-monetary costs account for 29-35% of household income in rural areas and not accounting for these costs may misclassify 17% of households as having affordable energy.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Roland Azibo Balgah, Chama Theodore Ketuama, Martin Ngwa Ngwabie, Hynek Roubik
Summary: The energy crisis in Africa due to energy poverty is keeping millions of people in absolute poverty. This study demonstrates how harnessing the energy potential, specifically biogas technology, can have a positive impact on household livelihoods and contribute to sustainable development in Africa. The results show that the use of biogas technology improves livelihood assets and provides significant environmental benefits. Integrating livelihood enhancement components in energy interventions can contribute to the sustainable transformation of the African continent.
ENVIRONMENT DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Zhong Liu, Zuanjiu Zhou, Chang Liu
Summary: With a large rural population, China faces the challenge of energy poverty in rural areas. The study found that the Rural Centralized Residence policy can significantly reduce energy poverty in rural China by improving household income, promoting the use of energy-efficient materials, and enhancing energy infrastructure supply.
RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Xinjie Shi, Liu Cui, Zuhui Huang, Pei Zeng, Tongwei Qiu, Linlin Fu, Qiang Jiang
Summary: This study investigated the impact of internal migration on household energy poverty in rural China. The results showed that internal migration significantly reduced the likelihood of energy poverty, especially for families in central and western regions and villages near counties. Migration also played a more important role for low-income households with less educated male heads.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Ther Aung, Robert Bailis, Thabbie Chilongo, Adrian Ghilardi, Charles Jumbe, Pamela Jagger
Summary: The study reveals that ultra-poor households experience more severe energy poverty compared to better-off households, but unconditional cash transfers from the government's social cash transfer program contribute to improved energy access for the ultra-poor.
ENERGY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Carlos Roldan-Porta, Carlos Roldan-Blay, Daniel Dasi-Crespo, Guillermo Escriva-Escriva
Summary: This study proposes a method for evaluating the optimal configuration of a hybrid system of a biomass power plant and a photovoltaic plant connected to the grid to achieve minimum energy costs. The approach considers daily energy demand variation and price curves and determines the optimal configuration based on the highest internal rate of return (IRR) over a 12-year period while providing a 20% discount in electricity prices for the energy community.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Economics
Klaus Ackermann, Sefa Awaworyi Churchill, Russell Smyth
Summary: This study examines the impact of access to high-speed internet on the probability of energy poverty. The results show that an increase in the proportion of a postcode gaining access to high-speed internet leads to an average increase in the probability of energy poverty. The study also finds that this relationship is mediated by social capital, with lower levels of social capital contributing to higher levels of household energy poverty.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Maya Chandrasekaran, P. P. Krishnapriya, Marc Jeuland, Subhrendu K. Pattanayak
Summary: Research finds a positive correlation between women's empowerment and access to improved cookstoves, clean fuels, and electricity, although this relationship varies across countries and contexts. This analysis provides a fresh perspective on the differential correlation between women's empowerment and household energy access, serving as a first step towards further understanding the gender-energy linkages.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Economics
Isaac Koomson, Emmanuel Orkoh, Shabbir Ahmad
Summary: This study examines the impact of non-farm entrepreneurship on rural household energy poverty in India, and finds heterogeneities in outcomes based on caste. The results show that engagement in non-farm entrepreneurship significantly reduces energy poverty levels, particularly among Scheduled Tribe members. Further analysis reveals that non-farm entrepreneurship affects rural households' energy poverty through the accumulation of financial and durable assets.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Juan M. Montalvo-Navarrete, Ana P. Lasso-Palacios
Summary: Access to energy is crucial for human progress and well-being. This research focuses on the energy deficit in certain communities in Colombia and conducts a comprehensive review of literature regarding the sustainability of energy access, particularly in Non-Interconnected Zones. The findings emphasize the need for appropriate indicators to accurately assess the realities faced by underserved populations while preserving cultural and environmental heritage.
RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS
(2024)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Munir Ahmad, Yiyun Wu
Summary: This study investigated the household-based factors influencing the sustainable uptake of biogas plants in Dhaka Division, Bangladesh. It found that factors such as education level, household income, livestock ownership, crop yield, knowledge of biogas plants, access to credit, distance from firewood sources, and age play significant roles in the uptake of biogas plants. Recommendations for improving uptake include rural-scale specialization, changes in governmental tactics, technological awareness, and increased participation of females.
Article
Economics
Benjamin K. Sovacool, Max Lacey Barnacle, Adrian Smith, Marie Claire Brisbois
Summary: This study investigates the inequities associated with household solar adoption, utilizing a mixed methods research design and a novel framework. It aims to make solar energy adoption more sustainable and just, with implications for solar business practices and energy and climate policy.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Peter J. Newell, Frank W. Geels, Benjamin K. Sovacool
Summary: This Perspective argues that research on just transitions and energy justice needs to pay more attention to the trade-offs arising from the speed and acceleration of low-carbon transitions. The authors identify two important tensions for policymakers: participatory processes may increase justice but slow down action, and incumbent mobilization can accelerate transitions but entrench injustices. They suggest that acknowledging trade-offs and winners and losers as a first step is crucial for navigating these processes more effectively.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Benjamin K. Sovacool, Dylan D. Furszyfer Del Rio
Summary: This study explores the housing, energy, and mobility issues faced by Gypsies and Travellers in Northern Ireland, as well as the challenges to their health and quality of life. The research reveals the recurring poverty and vulnerability experienced by this marginalized group, along with patterns of resilience and coping strategies. It also highlights the troubling patterns of intolerance, discrimination, and cultural antagonism they face. Mechanisms to improve their quality of life and energy and mobility outcomes are discussed.
RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Geography
Paul Upham, Benjamin Sovacool, Chukwuka Monyei
Summary: Access to electric power and land is crucial for the datacentre sector, and Nordic countries are competing for this business. This paper uses comparative case analysis to explore the development of datacentres in Norway and Iceland, highlighting the relationship between datacentre financing, spatial planning, and infrastructure development in these two countries.
POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Geography
Laur Kanger, Benjamin K. Sovacool
Summary: This study introduces a new comprehensive framework of energy justice in system innovation, mapping injustices along multiple dimensions. Through an analysis of Estonia's ongoing energy transition, it is found that future injustices are strategically deployed by certain actors to influence energy futures and political choices.
POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Benjamin K. Sovacool, Chad M. Baum, Sean Low, Cameron Roberts, Jan Steinhauser
Summary: Direct Air Capture with Carbon Storage (DACCS) technologies are important tools in tackling climate change, and this study provides ten recommendations for future DACCS policy based on expert interviews. The recommendations emphasize governance principles for achieving negative emissions, prioritizing long-term carbon storage, and the importance of scale.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Letter
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Miquel Oliu-Barton, Simone Tagliapietra
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kamila Svobodova, John R. Owen, Deanna Kemp, Vitezslav Moudry, Eleonore Lebre, Martin Stringer, Benjamin K. Sovacool
Summary: A novel approach to analysing decarbonisation strategies by linking global resource inventories with demographic systems is developed. The research highlights the urgent need for targeted macro-level planning as global markets see a decline in thermal coal and a ramp up of other mining commodities. Findings suggest that ramping up energy transition metals (ETM) could be more disruptive to demographic systems than ramping down coal.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Benjamin K. Sovacool, Paul Upham, Mari Martiskainen, Kirsten E. H. Jenkins, Gerardo A. Torres A. Contreras, Neil Simcock
Summary: Tens of millions of households in Europe struggle to afford electricity, heating, and transportation, and recent high fuel prices may lead to more winter deaths. This study examines the causes and experiences of energy and transport poverty in the United Kingdom through focus groups and expert interviews. The findings suggest policies such as mandatory landlord energy efficiency upgrades, increased financial assistance to households, cheaper or free bus and train fares, and the expansion of bus services, which are accepted by both experts and the public. The study also proposes redesigning energy and transport systems to align with principles of energy and social justice.
Letter
Psychology, Biological
Ramit Debnath, Sander van der Linden, R. Michael Alvarez, Benjamin K. K. Sovacool
NATURE HUMAN BEHAVIOUR
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Benjamin K. Sovacool, Chad M. Baum, Sean Low
Summary: Carbon removal and net-zero energy technologies have gained attention as options for addressing climate change, but there is ongoing debate on how to effectively use them. This review takes an interdisciplinary approach to examine the social and technical aspects of carbon removal options, exploring modeling, social acceptance, innovation, and policy. The implications for policy and research are discussed.
Editorial Material
Energy & Fuels
David Bidwell, Benjamin K. Sovacool
Summary: Diverse attitudes towards community acceptance of energy technologies can create ambiguity in envisioning energy futures. Recognizing the tensions regarding justice perspectives and the level of desired change can enhance the quality of scholarship and policy dialogue.
Article
Environmental Studies
Benjamin K. Sovacool, Shannon Elizabeth Bell, Cara Daggett, Christine Labuski, Myles Lennon, Lindsay Naylor, Julie Klinger, Kelsey Leonard, Jeremy Firestone
Summary: Justice is not only a moral obligation, but it also plays a crucial role in promoting global decarbonization. However, technological innovations can lead to inequalities and environmental degradation. The concept of energy justice addresses these issues by emphasizing moral justness. Existing scholarship often fails to consider gender, Indigeneity, race, and other intersecting inequalities. Feminist, Indigenous, anti-racist, and postcolonial approaches provide important insights to counter theories of justice based on colonial, liberalist, majoritarian, utilitarian, or masculinist assumptions.
ENERGY RESEARCH & SOCIAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Benjamin K. Sovacool, Chad M. Baum, Roberto Cantoni, Sean Low
Summary: Institutional theory, behavioral science, sociology, and political science all stress the importance of actors in social change. However, little attention has been given to the actors involved in researching, promoting, or deploying negative emissions and solar geoengineering technologies. This study uses expert interviews to empirically explore the types of actors associated with these climate interventions, investigate knowledge networks and patterns of involvement, and assess social acceptance, legitimacy, and governance.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Benjamin K. Sovacool, Heike Brugger, Iska Brunzema, Alicja Dankowska, Devon Wemyss, Anne-Lorene Vernay, Regina Betz, Flor Avelino, Tessa de Geus, Agata Dembek, Elisabeth Duetschke, Sabine Hielscher, Marfuga Iskandarova, Leticia Mueller, Joerg Musiolik, Adelie Ranville, Joachim Schleich, Agata Stasik, Marta Struminska-Kutra, Christian Winzer, Julia Wittmayer, Karoline S. Rogge
Summary: Accelerating sustainable and just energy transitions remains a significant challenge, and social innovation plays a crucial role in this process. Through a comprehensive analysis of expert interviews, document analysis, experiments, surveys, and expert surveys, four key findings on social innovation in energy were identified: understanding the diversity of social innovation by recognizing core social practices and changes in social relations, the impact of governance, policy networks, and national context on social innovation dynamics, the critical role of multidimensional power relations in transformative changes, and the strong social acceptance and benefits of social innovation in energy among citizens and local communities. The analysis concludes that in Europe, social innovation in energy is driven by governance in a national context and receives strong acceptance from citizens.
COMMUNICATIONS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
