This chapter introduces the electricity access challenge and presents the decentralized approach to electrification of rural areas in developing countries. It then provides an overview of the content of the book.

Coal is the dominant fuel in the primary energy supply of Asia. East Asia accounted for more than 80% of the regional coal demand and China remains the most important coal user in the world. South Asia (mainly India) is ...

This paper provides an overview of the debate on energy access and development, and argues that despite some progress in enhancing energy access, the programmes promoting energy access are neither sustainable nor adequately ...

This chapter provides a detailed review of financial options and instruments available to support PV-based electrification in the developing world.

This chapter presents a local-level study of a village off-grid system in Bangladesh. Using the recent census information and household survey information, the study presents the current status of rural electrification in ...