Solar Photovoltaics and Home Lighting Fuel Choices: Evidence from Rural Households in Rwanda

The high dependency on traditional fuels in Rwanda has been associated with limited access to national grid electricity especially in the rural areas with slight progress on renewable energy interventions such as usage of... [ view full abstract ]

The high dependency on traditional fuels in Rwanda has been associated with limited access to national grid electricity especially in the rural areas with slight progress on renewable energy interventions such as usage of solar panels as indicated by the indicators on the sustainable energy for all. “What are the interventions needed to reduce rural household energy poverty in Rwanda?” This paper utilized the 2013/2014 Rwandan Integrated Household Living Conditions survey dataset to address this policy question. The results from a multinomial probit model shows that poverty, education levels, access to environmental information and location factors are some of important factors that determine and   influence solar photovoltaic uptake and rural home lighting fuel choices in Rwanda. An important finding of this study is that a considerable number of rural wealthy households are using solar panels as main fuel source for home lighting whilst the majority of the poor rural households are still dependent on traditional fuels sources such as kerosene, crop residues and others.  The  public policy implication of this research  findings  suggest the need  to initiate  social entrepreneurship and investment  programs  that  will encourage solar photovoltaic uptake by poor and rural households who are still using traditional lighting  fuel sources. However, further research is needed to understand  drastic changes in the household energy use patterns over time using the current data and also to understand public acceptance and consumer perception of such renewable technology in Rwanda.