The role of renewable energy for low-carbon development on small Philippine islands

Islands are particularly threatened by the negative effects of climate change, while often heavily dependent on fossil fuels for their power supply. At the same time, many islands are rich in renewable resources and are considered as ideal niche environments for a rapid implementation of renewable energy. The islands of the Philippines combine these characteristics and serve as the case study for this dissertation.
This dissertation investigates the role of renewable energy for the improvement and provision of power supply in the off-grid island sector of the Philippines. The first objective is the systematic assessment of the cost-effectiveness of renewable energy for the hybridization of existing fossil fuel powered generation capacity as well as the electrification of islands with no formal electricity supply. The second objective is to identify challenges to the deployment of renewable energy based island grids and analyze the impact of renewable energy implementation on local development outcomes and the Sustainable Development Goals. Finally, the purpose of the dissertation is to present suitable approaches and recommendations for the low-carbon development of the Philippine off-grid sector.
An interdisciplinary mixed methods approach combining energy economics and social sciences is applied to address these objectives. The main focus in the field of energy economics is the simulation of energy supply options for cost analyses. Quantitative and qualitative methods from the social sciences complement the overall research approach through field research, a household questionnaire survey, focus group discussions and expert interviews with relevant stakeholders.