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Every since OPEC forced us to face the fact that oil and gas were not going to be cheap and available forever, increased attention has been paid to alternative energy sources. Among the most attractive of these is solar energy—clean, free at the source, resistant to monopolistic control, and plentifully available in most regions. Solar energy, which had been utilized for heating from the time of the Greek and Roman civilizations, has been rediscovered. Among those focusing on its potentialities are government, industry, conservation groups, and academic agencies. Masses of information are becoming available, variously aimed at the researcher, the consumer, community groups and specialized audiences—political, commercial, and industrial. A selection for the vertical file, including some programming aids and bibliographies useful in collection development, follows. As before, we are defining inexpensive as under $2.50 plus postage.

This paper aims to study the Lut desert, also known as the Dasht–e–Lut, starting with a summary of its location as a large salt desert in southeastern Kerman, Iran, as well as its climate, being one of the world’s driest places. Next, a statistical analysis is performed based on a reasonable minimum level of 10 per cent. The computation of electric energy produced by sunlight in the studied region is, then, provided using a number of high-efficiency and suitable solar cells. Finally, the authors will compare the production of electrical energy to the consumption energy in Iran and Kerman province.

According to calculations of the present study and the analyses of the tables and charts provided, the use of solar energy and the amount of energy used in different areas was discussed. Lut desert in Iran is one of the touristic attractions of Kerman province: while only a very small area of this desert known as the Kalut is of interest to tourists, the vast remaining area of this desert is currently left without use. Lut and its surrounding towns and villages are not suitable for agricultural due to the lack of water in the region, and relatively poor people live within the area. The findings of this study showed that throughout the region, there is a very high potential for energy supply of Kerman and Iran.

The practical use of Lut desert potential in the production of electric energy from solar energy, besides its significant role in cost reductions, can also positively affect the living standards of local residents as well as job and income creation for the country. Efficient use of only 10 per cent of the area of Lut desert, via using its solar energy, can produce a considerable amount of energy for the region and for the country in large. Although the present study only investigated the solar energy of the region, it also has a high potential in wind energy and geothermal optimum use. The research team will, hence, continue its work on calculating the amount of energy generated from all types of renewable energy in this area. This paper showed that application of solar cells in this region is appropriate for providing a magnificent amount of electric-energy requirements of Kerman province and of Iran.

In recent years, Iran’s nuclear, oil and natural-gas industries have been the subject of intensifying sanctions from certain international communities. Now, the country wants to develop a sector in which it has more leeway, i.e. the renewable energy; wind and solar energies are always available, and no one can put sanctions on them. Also, to provide household electricity in remote areas (which are not connected to the mains electricity grid), energy storage is required for use of renewable energy. Usually, however, renewable energy is derived from the main electricity grid, and this means that as the mains electricity grid is organized so as to produce the exact amount of energy being consumed at that particular moment, the energy storage is mostly not applied. Energy production on the mains electricity grid is always set up as a combination of renewable-energy plants, as well as other power plants (e.g. the fossil-fuel power plants and nuclear power). This combination, nevertheless, is essential for this type of energy supply (i.e. the wind turbines, solar power plants, etc).

The chapter will explore the growth and opportunities of small-scale local power generation and the implications for internet access for rural communities. Solar power has grown exponentially in the last decade across the world and has provided opportunities for the development of local energy communities and on microgrids across the world and in Europe.

The huge cost reductions experienced in solar and its relative mobile and flexible nature have made it a technology perfect for rural areas to develop their own sustainable source of electricity supply. The increasing rise of digital tools has coupled nicely with the advent of mass use of solar in rural areas and thus the connection between smart solar and smart villages has become increasingly a norm.

Rural communities in Europe have embraced solar technology, with many farmers using solar as a means to reduce their electricity costs and also generate new streams of income to improve their overall livelihoods. Some case studies from India, Germany, and Africa will be examined. Other experiences will also be considered, especially where double land use between solar technology and livestock has empowered rural communities.

Outside of Europe, Africa and Asia have also seen solar as a means to electrify remote rural villages. This has lead to the development of microgrids and new technologies that are less deployed in Europe, which are being rolled out for rural communities in the rest of the world. This has been particularly successful in creating smart rural communities as often digital communications have already reached these communities and thus power and telecoms are combining to provide clean and controlled power for millions in Africa. This chapter will also assess the growth of smart energy communities in non-traditional energy markets and determine what lessons we can learn from their experiences.

This chapter will examine other sources of renewable energy and the role that biogas, biomass, and others are playing in the creation of smart villages in Europe and beyond. Biomass has been the traditional tool for many rural communities to generate power and heat and thus an examination of how it now plays a role in smart villages is vital to understanding the energy transition we are experiencing in rural communities.

The environmental impact of energy supply is growing which has a significant impact on regional and global environmental issues. As a solution for this, both developed and developing nations paying attention to convert their energy productivity by using renewable energy like wind and solar energy. Sri Lankan government also aims to obtain the full amount of electricity required from local renewable sources by the year 2050 under the project called “sooryabala sangramaya” (the battle for solar energy). Currently, Sri Lanka’s power generation sector is heavily dependent on imported fuels, such as petroleum and coal, resulting in growing detrimental impacts on the country’s sustainable socioeconomic development. With the growing market of solar photovoltaic (PV) technology, Sri Lanka is turning its attention towards generating the total amount of electricity required from solar power by promoting the installation of arrays of PV panels on the rooftops of households, religious places, hotels, commercial establishments and industries. It also aims to deploy solar PV for sustainable rural development, mainly focused on uplifting people living in remote areas in the country. This chapter discusses how Sri Lanka has initiated a rooftop solar PV adoption program to lessen imported fuels’ socioeconomic and environmental impacts. Moreover, this case demonstrates that the adoption of rooftop solar PV brings many socioeconomic benefits to its consumers.

This chapter seeks to place the Paris agreement on anthropogenic greenhouse gases (COP21) in a wider picture on how the global solar photovoltaic (PV) market has been created and shaped over decades. The chapter discusses the role of solar PV actors, as well as other actors in the market-shaping process. The aim is to show how the COP21 can be interpreted in a wider historical perspective.

The chapter builds on expert interviews conducted after the COP21, as well as secondary data on historical studies on evolution of solar energy markets in various countries.

Although scientists and entrepreneurs have been important in creating and shaping the global solar PV market, it is noted that other actors have also had an influence on the market development. Particularly, politicians are seen as playing a crucial role through legislation and funding. Unfortunately for the solar PV market, support has fluctuated over time. The COP21 provides a clear pathway for positive support, and it is expected to bind governments for pro-solar politics even during low prices of fossil fuels and economic downturn.

The chapter provides an overview of what has happened in the history of global solar PV market. It gives reasoning as to why the COP21 is important in securing support for the solar PV market. Thus, it can provide reasoning as to why the COP21 can make a difference.

This is the first academic study that portrays the COP21 against historical evolution of the global solar PV market.

This case study was developed using data from secondary sources. The data was collected from the organization’s website, annual reports, press releases, published reports and documents available on the internet.

According to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) World Energy Outlook (WEO), 775 million people worldwide would not have access to electricity even by 2022, with the majority of them living in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) (Cozzi et al., 2022). In SSA, energy poverty had been a serious issue over the years. According to the IEA, 600 million people lacked access to electricity in 2019, while 900 million people cooked with traditional fuels (Cozzi et al., 2022). A World Bank report from 2018 said many SSA countries had energy access levels of less than 25% (Cozzi et al., 2022). Energy poverty in SSA hampered sustainable development and economic growth.

Despite significant efforts to address this poverty, Africa remained the continent with the lowest energy density in the world. Although solar and other energy-saving products were appealing, their adoption rates were modest, and their distribution strategies were not particularly effective. The lack of electricity exacerbated a number of socioeconomic problems, as it increased the demand for and use of wood fuel, which caused serious health problems and environmental harm.

While working in Uganda, Katherine Lucey (Lucey) saw that having no electricity had negatively affected women’s health in particular because it was women who were responsible for taking care of the home. These effects were both direct and indirect. The women’s reliance on potentially harmful fuels for cooking, such as firewood and charcoal, resulted in their suffering from respiratory and eye problems, in addition to other health issues. Furthermore, the distribution of energy-saving and renewable energy items was seen as the domain of men, and there was an inherent gender bias in energy decisions. Women were not encouraged to participate in energy decisions, despite the fact that they were the ones managing the home and would gain from doing so. In addition, because there was no light after dusk, people worked less efficiently. Lucey saw the economic and social difficulties that electricity poverty caused for women in rural Africa. She also witnessed how the lives of a few families and organizations changed after they started using solar products. This motivated her to start Solar Sister with the mission of achieving a sustainable, scalable impact model for expanding access to clean energy and creating economic opportunities for women.

Solar Sister collaborated with local women and women-centric organizations to leverage the existing network. Women were trained, provided all the necessary support and encouraged to become Solar Sister Entrepreneurs and sell solar products in their communities and earn a commission on each sale. To provide clean energy at their customers’ doorstep, the Solar Sister Entrepreneurs received a “business in a bag” – a start-up kit containing inventory, training and marketing assistance.

Solar Sister’s business model empowered the women in SSA by providing them with an entrepreneurship opportunity and financial independence. Also, the use of solar products helped them shift from using hazardous conventional cooking fuels and lead a healthy life. The children in their households were able to study after sunset, and people in the community became more productive with access to clean energy.

The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, however, had a serious impact on Solar Sister. It found it challenging to mentor and encourage new business owners due to restrictions on travel and on group gatherings. The Solar Sisters were unable to do business outside the house either. Their source of income, which they relied on to support their families, was therefore impacted. The COVID-19 outbreak also slowed down the progress achieved by the community over the years and made household energy purchasing power worse. Furthermore, the organization was also grappling with other issues like limited access to capital, lack of awareness and infrastructural challenges. Another challenge lay in monitoring and evaluating the organization’s impact on the last mile.

In the absence of standardized measurement tools and issues in determining the social impact of Solar Sister, it would be interesting to see what approach Lucey will take to measure the impact of Solar Sister on the society. What measurement tool/s will Lucey implement to gauge the social impact of Solar Sister?

This case is intended for use in PG/Executive-level programs as part of a course on Social Entrepreneurship and Sustainability.

Present research focus on using solar energy as a renewable option for office buildings in different climatic conditions in Iran. To seeking a way to use clean solar energy and reduce current expense in buildings an investigation carried out. Nine office buildings in various climatic regions selected as case studies. Through a precise examination, buildings specifications, energy demand and climate information carried out. In the first step based on the buildings type and hot water demand, solar water heater systems designed for each case. In the second step, a cost-benefit analysis is done to detriment the economic aspects of implement aforementioned type of solar system. A cost-benefit analysis is done from saving energy and return time of investment point of view. Results indicate that solar water heater with low investment about US$500 and payback time between 2 and 5 years can be noticed as a desirable renewable option in case studies. Furthermore, analysis reveals that thermal load of building is more effective on fuel saving in building, while solar radiation intensity has more effective on the payback in solar water heater utilization.

In this study based on thermal load of nine building office and radiation of different part of Kermnashah province, the possibility of solar water system is investigated.

Analyses reveal that the thermal load of building is more effective on fuel saving, while solar radiation intensity has more effective on the payback in solar water heater utilization. The main originality goes back to consideration of different meteorological conditions in solar water heater selection.

The study examined perceptions and beliefs that influence the intention to adopt solar energy solutions in the Zambian Housing Sector. This is important because empirical evidence for measures aimed at improving the adoption of solar energy solutions with SSA in general or a Zambian context, in particular, are largely missing from the literature.

Hierarchical multiple linear regression was used to analyse quantitative data collected through an online questionnaire survey. A total of 947 valid responses were obtained from a convenient sample of household heads.

The results show that attitude towards solar energy solutions, subjective norms, perceived benefits, perceived trust, knowledge about solar energy solutions, load-shedding and social norms, in that order of magnitude, influence the intention to adopt solar energy solutions. Perceived behavioural control, perceived risk and perceived cost did not influence the intention to adopt solar energy solutions.

The results provide empirical evidence of important factors to drive the adoption of solar energy solutions in Zambia. The results further show that knowledge about available solar energy solutions, rather than general knowledge about renewable energy, influence the adoption intention of solar energy solutions.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the growing trend of power outages in Ghana and the possible diffusion of a solar solution from the solar technologies; it also seeks to ascertain whether people in Ghana as well as developing countries would resort to renewable energy because of its “greenness”.

A focus group study was used, aimed at investigating the right parameters to be put in place for an effective diffusion of solar solutions in developing countries and, this instance, Ghana.

Results from the interviews of sampled respondents selected from different regions of the country indicated that many Ghanaians consider solar energy as the best alternative. However, it was a matter of affordability, financing and accessibility. Supplementary discussion into the benefits of resorting to “greenness” of solar energy, which seems not to be of major concern to potential users in Ghana, is highlighted. Moreover, making solar energy accessible in Ghana and the related market‐marketing conditions of the solutions are addressed. Based on the findings, a comprehensive examination of the reasons behind the slow adaptation of solar energy as an alternative is addressed. The alternative solar solutions identified include: standalone; backup and hybrid.

The study can be seen as the first in a series of attempts to understand the energy crisis in Ghana. The paper is aimed at promoting awareness of renewable energy solutions and its potential for helping the country to achieve a balanced economic growth.

The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it discusses the role of entrepreneurship, in general, and women entrepreneurship, in particular, in advancing the cause of sustainable development. Future research directions that emerge from the body of knowledge that the paper relied upon have been identified. Second, it presents unique cases of eight women-led enterprises in energy sector spread across three continents, namely, Asia, Africa and the USA; identifies the constraints and opportunities, analyses the business models and their impact on the quality of life pointers to demonstrate the role of women-led enterprises in sustainable development.

The paper combines a schematic review of literature at the interface of entrepreneurship and sustainable development coupled with select relevant case studies addressing the interface. The real-life case studies, which are consciously chosen and compiled from secondary data sources, complement and testify the insights drawn from the schematic literature review. The framework for analyzing the case studies is designed around multidimensional drivers and factors that steer the women-led enterprises.

The paper identified the need to look at entrepreneurship through the gendered lens not only for studying entrepreneurship as a discipline, in general, but also to gauge whether the inclusion of women as entrepreneurs is actually advancing the cause of sustainable development. Besides analyzing real-life case studies of accomplished women entrepreneurs to gauge their motivations and mindsets, the process of identification of pain points, identifying differentiating and innovative features, or studying the impact on society, economy and environment, the paper eventually created a schematic framework of key enablers, constraints and strategic response of women entrepreneurs.

Given the dearth of adequate theoretical and empirical contributions on the study of effectuation, mindsets and drivers of how women entrepreneurship steers the process of sustainable development, the paper is an endeavour in that direction.