Energy Systems

According to the International Energy Agency, over 1.2 billion people in the world do not have access to electricity. Most of these people live in countries with very little traditional generation and transmission capacity. Recognizing the need to support energy access projects, international aid organizations have expanded support for electrification programs. However, there is a lack of monitoring of the successes and failures of efforts to deploy energy access projects and there is still a need to identify challenges and opportunities to expand resilient and sustainable energy systems that support economic growth in the developing world. KCRC affiliates are pursuing research about future demand of energy in Africa; the role of mini grids and grid extension in supporting universal electricity access; novel energy technologies and resource management strategies; sustainability analysis for energy systems, among others.