Does solar provide sustainable energy for all? Examining adoption and sustained use of household solar technologies in Malawi

Abstract

Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, with one of the lowest rates of electricity access, particularly in its rural areas. However, the Government of Malawi aims to achieve universal electrification by 2030 through a variety of grid and off-grid strategies, including the promotion of decentralized solar technologies. Our study assesses the uptake and sustained use of solar home systems and standalone solar panels in rural areas of Malawi to explore the efficacy of household-level solar technologies in achieving universal energy access. We analyze survey data from 2,503 households as part of a two-period quasi-experimental quantitative impact evaluation to address three research questions: 1) what types and capacities of solar products do households use; 2) what factors are associated with the adoption of household-level solar technologies; and 3) as households adopt solar products, what factors affect whether they expand, maintain, or contract their supply of solar products over time? Through a series of linear and logit models, we find that the solar energy capacity of most solar devices and households is extremely low, highlighting the need for further research into the impacts of household-level solar technologies across differing capacity levels. Additionally, we identify several demographic and economic characteristics associated with household-level solar technology adoption and sustained use. Notably, our data suggest that low socioeconomic status is a major barrier to solar technology adoption, as well as to the maintenance or expansion of a household’s supply of solar technologies over time. As such, we recommend targeted financial support for low-income households to ensure household-level solar technologies can be an effective electrification strategy in rural areas of Malawi.