ENE research aims to explicitly assess the current energy use patterns of households in regions with the most acute lack of access to modern energy services, such as the countries of sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Pacific Asia, where much cooking still takes place on open fires fueled by wood, dung, or other biomass, and many in rural areas are still unconnected to an electricity supply.
In 2010 ENE completed a global assessment of the costs of attaining an almost universal access target for household electricity and clean cooking by 2030 and the ensuing health benefits. The assessment was undertaken through a bottom-up, detailed, and highly heterogeneous analysis of household access to energy and its consumption in the three regions mentioned. The MESSAGE-Access model was used to explore different energy scenarios, cost estimates, policy levers, that could be used to accelerate the household energy transition, and also its potential impacts. The results are visualized in the Energy Access interactive tool.
Access to energy and electricity are fundamental to meeting basic human needs, and they also spur growth in income and improvements in wellbeing. IIASA researchers are studying how access to energy supply affects people’s lives and livelihoods, and how to provide energy services equitably. More
Developing countries’ demand for infrastructure, including roads, electrical grids, and public water systems, is growing rapidly. Building and maintaining that infrastructure requires energy, but how much? More
Many people rely on traditional and polluting forms of fuel like wood and coal that contribute to health problems and air pollution. How do people make choices about fuel and appliances, and how can policies encourage people to switch to cleaner fuels? More
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)
Schlossplatz 1, A-2361 Laxenburg, Austria
Phone: (+43 2236) 807 0 Fax:(+43 2236) 71 313