Incorporating the user perspective into a proposed model for assessing success of SHS implementations

Hans Holtorf; Tania Urmee; Martina Calais; Trevor Pryor; Hans Holtorf; Tania Urmee; Martina Calais; Trevor Pryor

doi:10.3934/energy.2015.4.679

AIMS Energy

2015, Volume 3, Issue 4: 679-698. doi: 10.3934/energy.2015.4.679

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Incorporating the user perspective into a proposed model for assessing success of SHS implementations

School of Engineering and Information Technology, Murdoch University, South Street, Murdoch WA 6150, Australia

Received: 30 May 2015 Accepted: 15 October 2015 Published: 27 October 2015

Modern energy can contribute to development in multiple ways while approximately 20% of world's populations do not yet have access to electricity. Solar Home Systems (SHSs) consists of a PV module, a charge controller and a battery supply in the range of 100 Wh/d in Sunbelt countries. The question addressed in this paper is how SHS users approach success of their systems and how these user's views can be integrated in to an existing model of success. Information was obtained on the user's approach to their SHSs by participatory observation, interviews with users and by self-observation undertaken by the lead author while residing under SHS electricity supply conditions. It was found that success of SHSs from the users' point of view is related to the ability of these systems to reduce the burdens of supplying energy services to homesteads. SHSs can alleviate some energy supply burdens, and they can improve living conditions by enabling communication on multiple levels and by addressing convenience and safety concerns. However, SHSs do not contribute to the energy services which are indispensable for survival, nor to the thermal energy services required and desired in dwellings of Sunbelt countries. The elements of three of the four components of our previously proposed model of success have been verified and found to be appropriate, namely the user's self-set goals, their importance and SHSs' success factors. The locally appropriate, and scientifically satisfactory, measurement of the level of achievement of self-set goals, the fourth component of our model of success, remains an interesting area for future research.
- Solar home system,
- SHS user,
- energy service,
- success,
- success factor,
- measurement of success,
- contextualization
Citation: Hans Holtorf, Tania Urmee, Martina Calais, Trevor Pryor. Incorporating the user perspective into a proposed model for assessing success of SHS implementations[J]. AIMS Energy, 2015, 3(4): 679-698. doi: 10.3934/energy.2015.4.679

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Abstract

Modern energy can contribute to development in multiple ways while approximately 20% of world's populations do not yet have access to electricity. Solar Home Systems (SHSs) consists of a PV module, a charge controller and a battery supply in the range of 100 Wh/d in Sunbelt countries. The question addressed in this paper is how SHS users approach success of their systems and how these user's views can be integrated in to an existing model of success. Information was obtained on the user's approach to their SHSs by participatory observation, interviews with users and by self-observation undertaken by the lead author while residing under SHS electricity supply conditions. It was found that success of SHSs from the users' point of view is related to the ability of these systems to reduce the burdens of supplying energy services to homesteads. SHSs can alleviate some energy supply burdens, and they can improve living conditions by enabling communication on multiple levels and by addressing convenience and safety concerns. However, SHSs do not contribute to the energy services which are indispensable for survival, nor to the thermal energy services required and desired in dwellings of Sunbelt countries. The elements of three of the four components of our previously proposed model of success have been verified and found to be appropriate, namely the user's self-set goals, their importance and SHSs' success factors. The locally appropriate, and scientifically satisfactory, measurement of the level of achievement of self-set goals, the fourth component of our model of success, remains an interesting area for future research.

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