A comprehensive computer-aided planning approach for universal energy access : case study of Kilifi, Kenya

In 2009, it was estimated that 1.4 billion people in the world lack access to electricity, and approximately 2.7 billion people rely on biomass as their primary cooking fuel. Access to reliable electricity and modem forms of energy for cooking can contribute to improvements in sectors beyond the energy industry such as health, education, commerce, and agriculture, and has been shown to correspond with poverty alleviation and economic growth. A successful strategy towards universal access requires a careful assessment of the diverse energy services needs from the perspective of the beneficiaries, the impact on their economic and social development, and the environmental consequences. This thesis proposes a comprehensive methodology for the assessment of the appropriate modes of electrification and heating and cooking for specific countries or regions. The software tools used for this analysis are incorporated in the proposed technology toolkit consisting of: the Reference Electrification Model (REM)-used to determine the appropriate modes of electrification (grid extension, micro or isolated systems) given the current base scenario; the Reference Cooking Model (RCM)-used to determine technology choices for the provision of modem heat for cooking; and the MASTER4all Model-used to evaluate the future macro level impact of different energy access strategies in a specific region or a country as a whole, taking into account various business scenarios and regulatory policies. While the analytical strategy presented here is intended to be generalizable for other regions, it is based on a case study of Kilifi County in Kenya. The larger goal of this project, through the case study approach, is to provide a proof of concept for the decision support tools being developed that could be used in energy access expansion planning.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems Division

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2015

Author dc:creator

• Mwalenga, Lily Mkanjala

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Robert J. Stoner and Reja Amatya.

• Institute for Data, Systems, and Society.
• Engineering Systems Division.
• Technology and Policy Program.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/103572

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/103572