Electrical Energy Demand in Rural India - A Case Study of Arunachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh

• Main Authors: Seppälä Anna-Kaarina, Gaihre Nabin Raj, Pereira Rinald
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: EDP Sciences 2019-01-01
• Series: E3S Web of Conferences
• Online Access: https://www.e3s-conferences.org/articles/e3sconf/pdf/2019/27/e3sconf_icesd2018_02002.pdf

India currently has the biggest unelectrified population in the world. Renewable-based microgrids could provide a sustainable solution to providing universal energy access. However, the potential electricity demand in rural areas is unknown and hard to predict. This data is needed to analyse the purchasing power and potential market for microgrids, and to assess their success rate. This study surveyed 73 households in Arunachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh in India, to study the energy need in rural communities. The data shows that many unelectrified households are already using electrical appliances powered by small photovoltaic panels or batteries. The consumption is not income-generating but potential productive use cases are widely present. In Uttar Pradesh, small-scale microgrids are already providing homes with enough power for lighting and mobile chargers. An average unelectrified household was found to consume 2.48 kWhe monthly, and to spend ₹ 155 on energy services. Villagers wish for more appliances and more power, and have the required finances to pay for it.