The combustion of solid fuels in residential cookstoves is a global health and climate issue, and expanded use of improved cookstoves could have significant benefits locally and globally. Evaluating impacts of improved cookstove programs requires more accurately measuring stove use patterns....

With recent advances in high-resolution satellite imagery and machine vision algorithms, fine-grain geospatial data on population are now widely available: kilometer-by-kilometer, worldwide. In this paper, we showcase how researchers and policymakers in developing countries can leverage these...

Over the past decade, nighttime lights have become a widely used proxy for measuring economic activity. This paper examines the potential for high frequency nighttime lights data to provide “near real-time” tracking of the economic impacts of the COVID-19 crisis in Morocco. At the national...

The world is facing an increasingly dire plastic waste crisis that affects people in developing countries disproportionately more than those in industrialized nations. To compare the environmental effects of end of life disposal and recycling options for plastic/sand roof tiles in Uganda, we use...

We developed a techno-economic model to simulate the performance of residential solar-battery systems as a means of reducing the reliance on backup generators in grid connected households in Lagos, Nigeria. We compared the economic and environmental performance of solar-battery systems to the...

To design energy access solutions for rural households in developing countries it is important to have an accurate estimation of what their electricity consumption is. Studies reveal that they mainly use electricity to meet their lighting needs, as they cannot afford high power-consuming...

The informal settlements in the Global South, mostly comprising of inadequate building solutions, are growing rapidly, therefore calling for more sustainable construction interventions and upgrading strategies. Within this context, this study considers that appropriate construction strategies...

In Kenya, between 2010 and 2015, the number of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) connected to the grid increased by over 60%. Despite this substantial increase, little is known about the behavioural patterns or conditions that contribute to increased electricity consumption among these SMEs....

This paper presents a geospatial mapping model for assessing spatial distribution and demand of biomass sources for household energy use in Nepal. In the context of rural households, correlation between supply and demand of biomass is crucial for designing effective rural energy programs. Three...

Access to electricity is typically the main benefit associated with solar panels, but in economically less developed countries, where access to electricity is still very limited, solar panel systems can also serve as means to generate additional income and to diversify income sources. We analyze...