{"id":2681,"date":"2023-11-14T12:32:46","date_gmt":"2023-11-14T11:32:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ietp.thenoklu-studio.com\/?p=2681"},"modified":"2024-02-16T17:35:40","modified_gmt":"2024-02-16T16:35:40","slug":"measuring-the-impact-of-decentralised-electrification-projects-2-4-using-remote-sensing-initial-results-on-the-impact-of-cafes-lumiere","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.entreprenanteafrique.com\/en\/measuring-the-impact-of-decentralised-electrification-projects-2-4-using-remote-sensing-initial-results-on-the-impact-of-cafes-lumiere\/","title":{"rendered":"Measuring the Impact of Decentralised Electrification Projects (2\/4). Using Remote Sensing: Initial Results on the Impact of Caf\u00e9s Lumi\u00e8re"},"content":{"rendered":"

Typically, current assessments of decentralised electrification projects struggle to establish their tangible impact. Achieving this would necessitate expensive and time-intensive efforts, because it would demand extensive data not only from the equipped localities but also from control localities. Nonetheless, substantiating the presence of an impact is crucial to assist public decision-makers, both at the national and international levels, in expanding the adoption of these solutions.<\/p>\n

In a series of four articles for “Entreprenante Afrique,” we introduce the Caf\u00e9s Lumi\u00e8re mini-grids project in Madagascar and compare the outcomes of various affordable evaluation methods applied to these projects. These methods aim to assess the project’s positive effects on development objectives. In this second of four articles, we explore the feasibility of evaluating impacts through the use of remote sensing data, which is generally a low cost approach.<\/p>\n

The contribution of remote sensing to impact analysis<\/h2>\n

Remote sensing uses high-resolution satellite imagery that covers nearly the entire globe, offering near real-time accessibility at a low cost. This technology can effectively capture various measurable terrestrial phenomena relevant for the study of human activities. For the assessment of electrification projects’ impacts, satellite imagery measurements of night-time luminosity can be employed, once sufficient experience has been gained in interpreting this data. It has been consistently demonstrated that an increase in night-time luminosity correlates well with the increase in electrification over time, even at fine levels of granularity (see Berth\u00e9lemy, 2022, in The Conversation<\/em><\/a>). It has even been argued that rise in night-time luminosity reflects growth in economic activity (Hu and Yao, 2022<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Nonetheless, critics of this new approach, which relies on observations of natural phenomena partially linked to the outcomes of human activities, raise concerns about potential assessment bias. In our context, night-time luminosity specifically measures the light generated at night, primarily from lighting sources, especially public lighting. It does not have a direct connection with total electricity consumption, of which it typically represents a minor portion, and even less so with its impacts on socio-economic development. While public lighting can influence safety, and consequently economic activity, it can only capture a fraction of the consequences of electrification on human activities.<\/p>\n

Application: the Caf\u00e9s Lumi\u00e8re Mini-grids have a Significant Impact from 2021 onwards<\/h2>\n

Night-time luminosity can serve as a real-time indicator for detecting the effects of electrification. To illustrate this, we have calculated the average annual night-time luminosity for the 6 equipped localities and compared it to that of 6 similar non-equipped localities, which were randomly selected by Electriciens sans fronti\u00e8res to create a control group. The data was analysed taking into consideration the following constraints\u00a0:<\/p>\n