GCL Event-Environmental Sustainability in Scotland and Malawi 20th October 2011

1. Community Energy-based approach
to Environmental Sustainability in
Malawi
Graham Ault – University of Strathclyde
Laura Nicolson - Training and Operations Development
Officer, Community Energy Scotland
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2. Context
• Energy underpins several Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
• Real need for sustainable energy solutions in developing countries
• More than half a billion of Africa’s rural poor rely of fuel-wood for cooking and
kerosene lamps for lighting
• Off-grid energy development ‘short-cuts’ grid extension
• Need for demonstrated ‘sustainable models’ for off-grid energy development to
address poor record of success in off-grid power
• Recent Scottish Government study identifies challenges and potential in Malawi

3. Background: Malawi electrical power supply
• Inadequacy of central generation installations
• Grid extension requirements
• Rural electrification pace and investment requirement

4. Challenges to sustainability
for energy provision in rural
Malawi
• Major challenge of grid based rural electrification
• Technology that does not meet local energy requirements
• Issues with finance, knowledge, support networks and governance/accountability
• Lack of consideration of whole lifecycle of installations
• Under-estimation of initial and ongoing training and support requirements
• Failure to understand the commercial/financial capacity of locals

5. Scottish Government Community
Energy Scoping Study
• Engagement with Malawian energy
sector stakeholders:
 MDPC, MNREE, DoEA, DoEnvAff, MERA,
OIBM, Concern Universal, UNDP,
MuREA, Mzuzu University, Solar Aid,
LCD, MCA-Malawi
• Study conclusions:
 Drivers pushing energy higher up agenda in Malawi: fuel costs, climate
change agenda, role of electricity in economic development
 Primary aim of outworking of the policies, strategies and investment
plans is development of grid generation and extension of the grid
 Biomass missing from policies and investment plans when it accounts
for 97% of energy use in Malawi
 Institutional framework for energy development is sound but resource
constrained (e.g. capacity, people, finance, lack of coordination)

6. Study conclusions cntd.
• Community energy development trials
underway with various technologies and
approaches but in disparate and
uncoordinated manner
• Lack of coordination in NGO energy
development activities
• Climate change policy and renewable
energy policy not complete and Malawi not
exploiting opportunity of international
frameworks (e.g. GEF, CDM, etc.)
• Current situation not providing conducive
framework for donor or private investment
in energy
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7. Community Energy case studies
• Biomass and Solar:
– Concern Univeral – Balaka Project
– Sustainable forestry and efficient cook
stoves
• Micro hydro:
– MuREA – Bondo 1 (75kW), Mulanje
– Community owned and managed
• Solar photovoltaic (community):
– Chikwawa district – CRED project
• Solar photovoltaic (domestic):
– Solar Aid – northern region (and
Balaka)
• Biomass / biogas:
– Mzuzu university trials
– 11 installations based on waste
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8. Scoping Study Recommendations
• Support for energy in Malawi should fit in with Malawian government
plans and priorities
• Interventions should be based on and/or facilitate cross-departmental and
multi-stakeholder working within Malawi
• Addressing biomass burning has clear potential to bring about the highest
impact and the most pro-poor outcomes
• External support should not be given for ‘one-off investments’ that have a
primary focus on simply deploying renewable technologies
• Community energy developments must be:
– community driven
– ‘commercially’ based – grant and loan funded
– certified in line with MERA requirements
– supported through appropriate mechanisms
– other criteria might include: national M&E participation, income generation,
equitable participation and benefit
• Development and trial activities should be led by Malawian organisations

9. Community Development in
Malawi
Community Structures
Village structures
{Traditional Authorities}
District Committee
{Subject based working groups}
Government
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10. Community Energy Support Model
Scotland
Primary
Secondary
Network
Lobbying
Policy Influence
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11. Community Energy Support Model
Scotland
Primary
Secondary
Network
Lobbying
Policy Influence
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12. Community Energy Support Model
Scotland
Primary
Secondary
Network
Lobbying
Policy Influence
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13. Community Energy Support Model
Scotland
Primary
Secondary
Network
Lobbying
Policy Influence
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14. Community Energy Support Model
Malawi
Scottish Government scoping study
Recommendations
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15. Community Energy Support Model
Malawi
Community Energy Projects
Database of community-scale energy
project in Malawi
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16. Community Energy Support Model
Malawi
Knowledge transfer
Toolkits / Media
Visits
Conferences
Local officers
Appropriate delivery methods?
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17. Community Energy Support Model
Malawi
Building support networks
A Community Energy
Network in Malawi
Community Energy
Malawi?
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18. Conclusions
• Serious challenges faced for sustainable energy
development
• Partnerships built for productive Scotland-Malawi
programmes
• Community support mechanisms required
• Opportunity to accelerate the development of
community energy
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