Off-grid Renewable Energy Investment in Zambia: Demand-side and Sub-national Constraints

Zambia has large unexploited potential in renewable energy (RE) sources such as solar, wind, and biomass . However, 85% of the country's electricity generation is dominated by hydropower. To better manage the risk of climate change, and improve rural access to clean energy, the government is actively promoting investment in other RE, especially in rural and low-income areas. Using 11 expert interviews and document reviews, we find that poor affordability and weak sub-national planning structures in rural and low-income areas are a significant threat to attaining Zambia's RE targets. Conducting detailed demand assessments, introducing targeted consumer subsidies, and adequately funding sub-national energy planning would greatly improve the viability of Zambia's RE sector.This material has been produced under the Climate Compatible Growth (CCG) programme, which brings together leading research organizations and is led out of the STEER centre, Loughborough University. CCG is funded by UK aid from the UK government. However, the views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the UK government's official policies